VOL. II.] 



MALLOW FAMILY. 



421 



2. Malvastrum coccineum (Pursh) A.Gray. Red False Mallow. (Fig. 



Malva coccinea Nutt. in Fraser's Cat. Name only. 1813. 

 Cristaria coccinea Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 454. 1814. 

 Malvaslrum coccineum A. Gray, Mem. Am. Acad. (II.) 



4: 21. 1848. 



Perennial, erect or ascending, 4 / -io / high, freely 

 branched, densely and silvery stellate-pubescent. 

 Lower leaves i / -2 / wide, ovate-orbicular in outline, 

 slender-petioled, the uppermost nearly sessile, all 

 pedately 3~5-parted; lobes cuneate to linear, incised, 

 mainly obtuse; flowers red, 6 // -^ // broad, in dense 

 short terminal spicate racemes; bractlets of the involu- 

 cels commonly none; petals much longer than the lan- 

 ceolate acutish calyx-lobes ; carpels 10-15, rugose- 

 reticulated, indehiscent, i-seeded (rarely 2-seeded). 



Prairies, Manitoba to Nebraska and Texas, west to Brit- 

 ish Columbia and New Mexico. May-Aug. 



6. SIDA L> Sp. PI. 683. 1753. 



Herbs, with serrate crenate or lobed leaves, and 

 solitary or clustered, axillary or terminal, perfect flow- 

 ers. Bractlets of the involucels none. Calyx 5-toothed 

 or 5-cleft. Stamen- column anther-bearing at the summit. Cells of the ovary 5- cc, i-ovuled; 

 style-branches of the same number, stigmatic at the summit only. Carpels indehiscent, or at 

 length 2-valved at the apex. Seed pendulous. [Greek, used by Theophrastus.] 



About 75 species, natives of the warmer parts of America, Asia, Africa and Australasia. Be- 

 sides the following, some 17 others occur in the southern and southwestern parts of the United States. 

 Leaves linear, ovate or oblong, serrate. 



Leaves ovate or oblong-lanceolate; flowers z"-4" broad. i. 5. spinosa. 



Leaves linear or linear-oblong; flowers 6"-i 2" broad. 2. S. Elliottii. 



Leaves palmately 3-7-lobed. 



3. S. hermaphrodita. 



i. Sida spinosa L/. Prickly Sida. 

 (Fig. 2427.) 



Sida spinosa L. Sp. PI. 683. 1753. 



Annual, erect, branching, finely and softly 

 pubescent, i-2 high. Leaves ovate to oblong- 

 lanceolate, i / -2 / long, 5 // -io // wide, petioled, 

 obtuse or acute, truncate or cordate at the base, 

 crenate-dentate; flowers axillary, short-pedun- 

 cled, yellow, 2 // -4 // broad; peduncles shorter 

 than the petioles; calyx-teeth triangular, acute; 

 carpels 5, dehiscent at the apex into 2 beaks; 

 stipules linear; petioles of the larger leaves with 

 a small spine-like tubercle at the base. 



In waste places, southern New York and New Jer- 

 sey to Iowa and Michigan, south to Florida and 

 Texas, and widely distributed in tropical America. 

 Supposed by some to be naturalized at the north, 

 but it occurs in New Jersey as if native. Summer. 



2. Sida Elliottii T. & G. Elliott's Sida. 

 (Fig. 2428.) 



Sida Elliottii T. & G. Fl. N. A. i: 231. 1838. 



Perennial, glabrous or nearly so, branching, i-4 high. 

 Leaves short-petioled, linear or linear-oblong, i / -2 / long, 

 2"-2^ // wide, mostly obtuse at each end, serrate-dentate; 

 peduncles often longer than the petioles; flowers axillary, 

 yellow, 6 // -i2 // broad, calyx-teeth broadly ovate, acute; car- 

 pels 8-10, dehiscent at the apex, slightly and abruptly 

 pointed. 



In dry soil, southern Virginia to Florida, west to Chihuahua. 

 Summer. 



