MALVACEJE. 



77 



or three Mexican Meloc/iias whose flowers however are much larger. 

 The cells of the capsular fruit have in all the Meloc/iias a loculiciclal 

 dehiscence; but in those which are distinguished under the name 

 of Riedlea 1 they are also separated from each other sooner or later. 

 Among the Dombeyas too, where the ovary is generally quinquelo- 

 cular there are some species with dicarpellary gynseceurn ; there has 

 also been observed in Australia and described under the name of 

 Dicarpidium monoicum* a Melochia, having in its capsule only two 

 bivalvate cells, which separate from each other at maturity. The 

 genus Melochia contains fifty species 3 inhabiting 

 all the warm regions of the globe. They are Melochia pyramidata. 

 herbaceous, or frutescent plants more rarely ar- 

 oorescent, with alternate, narrow or cordate leaves 

 generally dentate like a saw, glabrous, or more often 

 covered with simple or stellate hairs. The flowers are 

 terminal, or axillary, and arranged in glomerules or 

 cymes which become a large compound terminal in- 

 florescence when the upper leaves are replaced by 

 bracts. These panicles are sometimes very much 

 ramified in certain Asiatic and Oceanian Melochias which may have 

 winged seeds, and of which the genus Visenia 4 is made. WaUh&ricv con- 

 sists of Melochias, whose gynseceum has only one carpel, and whose 

 ovary, containing two ascending ovules, is surmounted by an eccen- 

 tric style with stigmatiferous dilated or fimbriate penicillate apex ; 

 some fifteen species 6 may be reckoned, which are natives of all the 

 warm regions of the globe. 



Pig. 116. 

 Diagram. 



1 Vest., Choix de PI., t. 37. — Riedleia DC, 

 Prodr., i. 490. — Endl., Gen., n. 5338. — 

 Mougeoiia H. B. K., Nov. Gen. et Spec, v. 

 326, t. 483, 484.— Polychlcena G. Don, Gen. 

 Syst., i. 488. — ? Altheria Dup.-Tec., Nov. Gen. 

 Madag., 19. — Lochemia Aen., in Ann. Sc. Nat., 

 ser. 2, xi. 172. — Physocodon Tuecz., in Bull. 

 Mosc. (1858), i. 2\2.—Anamorpha Kaest. et 

 Te., in Linncea, xviii. 443. 



2 F. Muell., in Roolc. Journ., ix. 302. — 

 B. H., Gen., 224, n. 24.— Benth., PI. Austral, 

 i. 235. — Walp., Ann., vii. 428. 



3 Cav., Diss., t. 172-175.— H. B. K., Nov. 

 Gen. et Spec, v. 322, t. 326, 482 (Mougeotia), 

 t. 403, 483 a, 48 L— A. S. H., IT. Bras. Mer., i. 

 156, t. 31, 32.— Bl., Bijdr., 88 (Visenia).— 

 A. Geat, Gen. III., t. 134. — Geiseb., Fl. Brit. 

 W.-Ind,, 93. — Thw., Enum. PI. Zeyl., 30. — 



Benth., Fl. Austral., i. 234. — Wight, Icon., 

 t. 509. — A. Geay, in Amer. Fxpl. Exp., Bot., i. 

 191 (Visenia). — Walp., Pep., i. 341, 351 

 (Visenia); ii. 796; v. 112, 115 (Visenia); 

 Ann., i. 108; ii. 166; iv. 324; vii. 427, 428 

 (Anamorpha, Physocodon). 



4 Hoittt., Syst., vi. 287, t. 46, fig. 3— Endl., 

 Gen., n. 5356. — H. Bn., in Adansonia, iii. 180. — 

 Aleurodendron Reinw., in Syll. Fl. Patisb., ii 12 

 — GlossospermumVJ all., Cat.,n. 1153 (ex Endl.) 



5 L., Gen., n. 827.— J., Gen., 289.— Poie., 

 Diet., viii. 323; Suppl., v. 412; III., t. 570.— 

 DC, Prodr., i, 492. — Spach, Suit, a Buffon, iii. 

 461. — Endl., Gen., n. 5336.— B. H., Gen., 224, 

 983, n. 25. — Lophanthus Foest., Char. Gen., 

 27, t. 14. — Astropus Speeng., N. Fntd., iii. 64 

 (ex Endl.). 



6 Cat., Diss., t. 170, 171.— H. B. K., Nov. 



