426 



MALVACEAE. 



[VOL. II. 



5. Hibiscus Syriacus L,. Shrubby Althaea. 

 Rose-of -Sharon. (Fig. 2438.) 



Hibiscus Syriacus L. Sp. PI. 695. 1753. 



A branching nearly glabrous shrub, io-2o high. 

 Leaves short-petioled, ovate, a'-s' long, obtuse or cuneate 

 at the base, acute but blunt at the apex, 3-5-lobed or the 

 upper merely dentate, sometimes with a few scattered 

 stellate hairs on the upper surface; flowers axillary, short- 

 peduncled, pink or white with a crimson centre, 2'-4' 

 broad; bractlets linear, shorter than the calyx, or slightly 

 exceeding it ; peduncles, bractlets and calyx stellate- 

 pubescent; capsule ovoid, nearly i' long. 



Sparingly escaped from cultivation in southern New Jersey 

 and Pennsylvania. Introduced from western Asia. Aug.-Sept 



1824. 



Family 75. THEACEAE DC. Prodr. i: 529. 

 TEA FAMILY. 



Trees or shrubs, with alternate or rarely opposite pinnately-veined mainly 

 exstipulate leaves, and large axillary or terminal flowers. Flowers regular, 

 mostly perfect. Sepals 5 (rarely 4-7), imbricated, the inner ones generally larger 

 than the outer. Calyx often 2-bracted at the base. Petals 5 (rarely 4-9), 

 hypogynous, imbricated, crenulate. Stamens oo , numerous, hypogynous, more 

 or less united at their bases. Ovary sessile, 2-several-celled; styles i or several; 

 ovules 2 or more in each cavity. Fruit a 3~5-celled generally woody capsule 

 with loculicidal or septicidal dehiscence; endosperm little or none; embryo large, 

 with conduplicate cotyledons. 



About 16 genera and 160 species, natives of tropical and warm regions. 



Stamens monadelphous. i. Stuart ia. 



Stamens 5-adelphous. 2. Gordon i a. 



i. STUARTIA L. Sp. PI. 698. 1753.* 



Shrubs, with deciduous membranous serrulate leaves, and large showy axillary soli- 

 tary flowers on short peduncles. Sepals 5, rarely 6, slightly unequal, ovate or lanceolate. 

 Petals of the same number, obovate. Stamens monadelphous below; anthers versatile. 

 Ovary 5-celled; styles I or 5; ovules 2 in each cell, anatropous; capsule ovoid, woody, 5- 

 celled, loculicidally dehiscent. Embryo straight. Cotyledons oval, longer than the inferior 

 radicle. [Named in honor of John Stuart, Marquis of Bute.] 



Six species, natives of North America and Japan. 



Style i, compound; stigma 5-lobed; seeds marginless; capsule subglobose. I. S. Malachodendron. 

 Styles 5, distinct; seeds wing-margined ; capsule ovoid, 5-angled. a. S. pentagyna. 



i. Stuartia Malachodendron I,. Round-fruited 

 Stuartia. (Fig. 2439.) 



Steu'artia Malachodendron L. Sp. PI. 698. 1753. 

 Slewartia Virginica Cav. Diss. 5: pi. 158. f. 2. 1787. 



A shrub, 6-i2 high, the branches pubescent when young. 

 Leaves oval, acute or acuminate at each end, 2'-$' long, 

 iX / -2 / wide, serrulate with mucronate-tipped teeth, pubes- 

 cent below, glabrous above; petioles 2 // -4 // long; flowers 

 axillary, 3 / -4 / broad, solitary or occasionally in pairs, very 

 short-peduncled; sepals ovate or orbicular, obtuse, silky- 

 pubescent, united at the base; petals white, sparingly pubes- 

 cent on the under side, minutely crenulate; filaments purple; 

 anthers blue; style i, compound; stigma 5-lobed; capsule 

 subglobose, 6 // -8 // long, pubescent; seeds marginless. 



In woods, Virginia to Florida, west to Louisiana. April-May. 



* Original spelling Steivartia. 



