256 ON SEEDLINGS 



Hibiscus phceniceus, Willd. 



Eypocotyl pubescent, 11-15 mm. above the soil. 



Cotyledons slightly unequal, reniform, emarginate, trinerved 

 from the base with a few alternate nerves upwards, pubescent all 

 over, dull green above, paler beneath ; lamina of larger one 10 mm. 

 long, 13'75 mm. wide ; petiole of larger one semiterete, shallowly 

 channelled above, slender, pubescent, 5'5 mm. long ; lamina of 

 smaller one 9 - 5 mm. long, 13 - 25 mm. wide ; petiole of smaller one 

 6' 5 mm. long. 



Stem erect, terete, closely pubescent, pale green, soon becoming 

 grey, striated longitudinally and woody ; 1st internode 5*5-7 mm. 

 long ; 2nd 6-8 mm. ; 3rd and 4th 10-12 mm. 



Leaves undivided or slightly toothed, or more or less deeply 

 three- to five-lobed, and -nerved, somewhat reticulate, pubescent on 

 both surfaces, deep, dull green above, paler beneath, with the midrib 

 and principal nerves more or less stained red on both surfaces, at 

 least at certain stages ; petioles subterete, shallowly and narrowly 

 channelled above, tapering slightly upwards, horizontal or ascend- 

 ing, slightly thickened at the base of the lamina, pubescent ; stipules 

 linear, hairy, membranous, pale green or slightly stained with red, 

 soon falling away. 



Seedlings dimorphic. 



(1) More advanced type. 



No. 1 leaf. Oblong obtuse, generally with a tooth on each side a 

 little below the apex, rounded at the base. 



No. 2. Shortly trifid, with the terminal lobe longest. 



No. 3. Deeply trilobed ; lateral lobes oblong, obtuse ; middle 

 lobe lanceolate-oblong, obtuse. 



No. 4. Similar, but segments oblong-linear. 



Nos. 5-7. Tripartite, gradually larger, with linear, obtuse seg- 

 ments ; middle one longest. 



No. 8. Similar to seventh, but there is a small lateral lobe on 

 one side near the base making the leaf four-lobed. 



No. 9. Five-nerved and -lobed, with the middle lobe longest, and 

 the basal ones very small. 



Nos. 10 and 11. Trilobed. 



Nos. 12 and 13. Four-lobed. 



No. 14. Five-lobed. 



No. 15. Four-lobed. 



Nos. 16 and 17. Five-lobed and similar to the ninth. 



(2) The second form retains the simpler form of leaf for a much 

 longer period. 



