MALVACE2E. 



71 



Trochetia Frythroxylon. 



insular and continental Africa, abounding particularly in the 

 islands on the eastern 1 coast. The leaves are alternate, provided 

 with stipules, and often cordate and palminerved. The flowers are 

 in axillary or terminal cymes, pedunculate, often ramified, often also 

 resembling umbels or capitula, and surrounded by several bracts 

 like an involucre. Each pedicel is provided with two or three uni- 

 lateral bractlets of very variable dimensions, free or connate, and 

 often caducous. The genus includes about twenty-five species, 2 of 

 which several described as distinct are very variable in form. 



The genera collected in this series 

 of Dombeya proper are very nearly 

 related. They are, first, Trochetia 

 (fig. 102), which have often multi- 

 ovulate ovary cells, or which, when 

 they have only two ovules in each 

 cell, have below each of them an 

 obturator, or rather the cells are 

 divided into uniovulate demi-cells 

 by a false partition ; the calyx 

 is coriaceous, the style formed of 

 five thick radiating branches ; the 

 flowers generally few in number or 

 even solitary, accompanied by very small bractlets, or without bractlets. 



The Asterias are species of Dombeya without petaloid staminodes, and 

 with twenty fertile stamens. Iiuizia, likewise, has no staminodes, but it 

 has an ovary with ten biovulate cells and styles almost free. Penta- 

 petes has pluriovulate ovary cells, a simple style, petaloid staminodes, 

 and from ten to fifteen fertile stamens. Cheirolama has most of the 

 characters of Pentapetes, but its fertile stamens are detached a little 

 below the exterior surface of the androceum tube, and the three 

 bractlets which accompany the flower are digitate. Finally, Melhania 

 consists of Dombeyas having not more than ten monadelphous sta- 

 mens, five sterile and petaloid, superposed to the petals, and five 

 fertile, and alternate. 



1 Some species collected in India have perhaps Cap., t. 89, 137, 138.— Mast., in Olio. Fl. 

 been introduced here ? Trop. Afr., i. 226.— Sot. Mag., t. 2503 (As- 



2 Wall., PL As. Ear., iii. t. 235,-Endl., trapeea), 2905, 4544,4568,4578, 5487.— Walp., 

 Iconogr., t. 118 (Xeropetalmn).—P-L., in Fl. Rep., i. 349; ii. 797; Ann., h. 167; iv. 325; 

 des Serr., vi. 225, t. 605. — Habv. et Sond., vii. 423. 



Fl. Cap., i. 220; Suppl., 590.— Habv., Tlies. 



Fig. 102. 

 Flower. 



