POPULAR FLORA. 



131 



Calyx 2-leaveil, free from the ovary, which makes a few-seeded pod, splitting into 3 valves. 

 Stamens 5, one before each petal. Leaves 2 and opposite in our species, on a 

 stem which comes from a small tuber. Flowers rose-color, in a raceme, open- 



ing for several days. 



/ffWyP^: 



( Clai/iunia) Spiung-Beauty. 



309. Half of a flower of the common Purslane, divide'! lerif^lhwise and mag-nified. 310. Pod of tlie same, opening by a lid. 

 311. Cliiylnnia of Sprin^-Eeaiity. 312 Its 2-i:left calyx and pod. 313 Ripe pod cut across, and fiplittin? into three 

 valves, 314. Seed, more magnified. 315. Same, cut througjj, to show the coiled embryo. 316. Embryo taken out. 



17. MALLOW FAMILY. Order MALVACE.^. 

 Distinguished by the numerous monadelpltous stamens (i. e. united by their filaments into 

 a tube or column), with kidney-shaped one-celled anthers, and the five sepals or lobes of the 

 calyx applied edge to edge without overlapping (i. e. valvale) in the bud, and j>ersistent. 

 Leaves almost always palmately-veined, alternate, with stipules. Petals united at the bot- 

 tom with the tube of stamens. There is often a sort of outer calyx, below tlie true one, 

 called an involucel. All innocent plants, full of mucilage (it is extracted from the root of 

 ]\Iarsh-]\Iallow), and with a very tough fibrous inner bark. Flowers often handsome. 



Anthers all at the top of the column of united filaments (Fig. 317). 



Involucel or outer calyx present. Cells of the fruit many in a ring, separating whole 

 when ripe, one-seeded. 

 Involucel 9-parted. Separated little pods margiiiless. Plant soft-downy: root pe- 

 rennial, {AWuea) M.vrsh-Mallow. 

 Involucel about 6-parted. Separated pods with membranaceous margins. Plants 



tall, ronghish: root biennial. Flowers large, {Altluea, \ A'lcati) * Hollyhock. 



Involucel 3-6-cleft. A flat plate covering the circle of pods, [Lavatcra) * Lavatera. 



Involucel 3-leaved. Circle of pods naked, around a narrow axis, {Malva) Mallow. 



mim(\ m\ 



'\m 



