MALLOW FAMILY 159 



nodding on slender peduncles. CorolLa not opening widely, orange, 

 striped with reddish-brown veins. Cohmiu of stamens i)rojecting 

 beyond the corolla like a tassel. Cultivated in hothouses. From 

 Brazil. 



II. MALVASTRUM Gray 



Calyx with an involucel of 2 or 3 bractlets or none. Petals 

 notched at the end or entire. Styles 5 or more, with knobbed 

 stigmas. Carpels not splitting open or somewhat 2-valved, fall- 

 ing from the axis when mature, tipped with a point or beak. 



1. M. coccineum Gray. Red False Mallow. Perennial, 4-10 in. 

 high, covered with a dense silvery dow^n of star-shaped hairs. Leaves 

 3-5-parted. Flowers in short spikes or racemes. Petals red. much 

 longer than the calyx. Carpels 10 or more, with a wrinkled network 

 on the sides. Prairies W. and S.W. 



III. MALVA L. 



Calyx 5-cleft, wdth a small, 3-leaved involucel. Petals ob- 

 cordate or truncate. Styles many, slender, with stigmas run- 

 ning down the sides. Carpels many, 1-seeded, arranged in a 

 circle and separating from each other, but not opening when 

 ripe. 



1. M. rotundifolia L. Common Mallow, Cheeses (from appear- 

 ance of the unripe fruit). A common biennial or perennial weed, 

 with nearly prostrate stems. Leaves long-petioled, round-kidney- 

 shaped, with crenate nuirgins. Flowers small, whitish, on long 

 peduncles. 



2. M. sylvestris L. High Mallows Biennial or perennial. Stem 

 erect, 2-3 ft. high. Leaves .5-7-lobed. Flowers purplish, larger than 

 those of the preceding species. 



IV. CALLIRHOE Nutt. 



Calyx naked, or with a 3-leaved involucel at the base. Petals 

 w^edge-shaped, often toothed and fringed. Styles and stigmas 

 as in Malva. Carpels 10-20, joined in a circle, 1-seeded, beaked 

 at the tip. 



1. C. alcaeoides Gray. Light Poppy ^Mallow. Perennial. Stems 

 rather slender, 8-20 in. high, covered with close-lying stiff hairs. 

 Basal leaves triangular-heart-shaped, palmately lobed or incised; 



