MALVACEAE. 189 



Fruit of several radial carpels about an axis : stamen-column anther- 

 bearing at the top. 

 Stigmas terminal, capitate : mature carpels persistent and dehiscent. 



Carpels 2-few-seeded. 1. ABUTILON. 



Carpels 1-seeded. 2. SIDA. 



Stigmas introrse, elongate : mature carpels deciduous. 



Involucels of 6-9 bractlets. 3. ALTHAEA. 



Involucels of 1-3 bractlets. 4. MALVA. 



Fruit a loculicidal capsule : stamen-column anther-bearing below the top. 



5. HIBISCUS. 



1. ABUTILON [Tourn.] Mill. Herbs, shrubs, or rarely trees. Leaf- 

 blades entire, toothed, or lobed. Involucel wanting. Sepals 5, united below. 

 Petals 5, often yellow. Carpels 5-30, beaked at maturity. 



1. A. Abutilon (L.) Busby. Stems 3-18 dm. tall, velvety-pubescent: leaf- 

 blades suborbicular to ovate or reniform-orbicular, 9-30 cm. long: calyx-lobes 

 abruptly pointed: petals yellow, 10-15 mm. long: carpels 15-20 mm. long. 

 Common, in cultivated and waste grounds. Nat. of As. Sum. INDIAN- 

 MALLOW. VELVET-LEAF. 



2. SIDA L. Herbs or partially woody plants. Leaf -blades usually toothed. 

 Involucel wanting. Sepals 5, partially united. Petals 5, white or colored. 

 Carpels 5-many, 1-celled, commonly singly or doubly beaked. Sum. 



Leaf -blades toothed : flowers solitary : corolla yellow : carpels 5. 1. S. spinosa. 



Leaf -blades lobed : flowers clustered : corolla white : carpels 10. 2. 8. hermaphrodita. 



1. S. spinosa L. Plants 1-6 dm. tall, pubescent: leaf -blades oblong to ovate 

 or ovate-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate; 1-5 cm. long, serrate: calyx-lobes tri- 

 angular: corolla pale-yellow: mature carpels about 5, 4 mm. long. Common, 

 in cultivated grounds and waste places. Nat. of trop. Am. 



2. S. hermaphrodita (L.) Eusby. Plants erect, 9-40' dm. tall: leaf -blades 

 palmately 3-7-lobed: calyx-lobes triangular: petals white: mature carpels 6-7 

 mm. long. S. Eare, on river bank at Cooks Landing. Schists. 



3. ALTHAEA L. Herbs resembling Malvae in habit. Involucel of 

 several, mostly 6-9, bractlets which are more or less united at the base. 



1. A. officinalis L. Perennial, the stem branched: leaf -blades ovate in outline, 

 3-5-angled or 3-5-lobed, irregularly and prominently toothed: cymes several- 

 flowered: lobes of the involucel subulate or lanceolate-subulate: calyx-lobes 

 4-6 mm. long, acuminate: corolla white or pink, 2-3 cm. wide: carpel-heads 

 about 1 cm. wide. M. Local, about Lancaster. Nat. of Eu. Sum. 

 MARSH-MALLOW. 



4. MALVA [Tourn.] L. Herbs. Leaf -blades lobed or dissected. Invo- 

 lucel of usually 3 bractlets. Sepals 5, partially united. Petals 5, sometimes 

 eroded. Carpels many, 1-celled, beakless, the faces radially striate or ribbed at 

 maturity. MALLOW. 



Petals as long as the calyx or twice as long : mature carpels smooth. 



1. M. rotundifolia. 

 Petals thrice as long as the calyx or four times as long : mature 



carpels veiny. 2. M. sylvestris. 



1. M. rotundifolia L. Plants depressed: leaf -blades obscurely lobed, crenate- 

 dentate; calyx-lobes ovate to triangular-ovate: petals light-blue or white, 9-14 

 mm. long : carpels 1.5-2 mm. long. Common, in cultivated grounds and waste 

 places. Nat. of Eu. Spr. and sum. CHEESES. 



2. M. sylvestris L. Plants 3-4 dm. tall: leaf -blades prominently lobed and 

 crenate-dentate : calyx-lobes triangular or nearly so: petals light-purple to 



