MALVACEAE. 107 



ourselves obliged to return to one single family, Malvacece, in distin- 

 guishing twelve series whose distinctive features are the following : — 



I. Sterculie^e. — Flowers polygamous, apetalous, calyx often 

 coloured. Stamens supported by a common central column, with 

 extrorse anthers. Carpels independent in the flower and fruit. 

 Seeds with or without albumen. — (5 genera.) 



IT. Helictere2E. — Flowers generally hermaphrodite, and with 

 polypetalous corolla. Stamens inserted towards the summit or 

 upon the sides of a central column below the gynseceum. Anthers 

 extrorse, one or two-celled, all fertile, or accompanied by five stami- 

 nodes. Carpels united or free, whether in the flower or fruit. — 

 (6 genera.) 



III. Dombeye/E. — Flowers hermaphrodite, petalous. Stamens 

 five, or arranged in five bundles with two-celled introrse anthers, 

 often alternate with five sterile staminodes inserted under a sessile 

 gynseceum. Seeds albuminous. Cotyledons 5-fid. — (7 genera.) 



IV. Chiranthodendre^. — Flowers hermaphrodite, apetalous. 

 Calyx coloured. Androceum raonadelphous, isostemonous ; anthers 

 two-celled extrorse. Filaments inserted under a sessile gynseceum, 

 monadelphous in their lower part. Fruit capsular. Seeds albumi- 

 nous, arillate. — (1 genus.) 



V. HERMANNiEiE. — Flowers hermaphrodite, petalous. Andro- 

 ceum formed of five fertile stamens oppositipetalous with two-celled 

 anther, and sometimes of five alternate staminodes. Gynseceum 

 sessile or slightly stipitate, with 1-5 carpels united or free to a more 

 or less advanced age. — (3 genera.) 



VI. Buettnerie^e.— Flowers hermaphrodite. Petals generally 

 cucullate at the base, rarely squamiforrn, often ligulate at the 

 summit. Stamens fertile, solitary opposite each petal, or united by 

 2- qc ; the bundles alternate with the alternipetalous staminodes 

 rarety absent (and in this latter case with more than one fertile 

 stamen within each petal). Anthers two-celled, extrorse (rarely three- 

 celled). Ovary plurilocular. Fruit capsular or fleshy. — (12 genera.) 



VII. Lasiopltalejs. — Flowers hermaphrodite, apetalous or pro- 



distinction is generally easy to understand in MyrodiaandQuararibea, the Kydias and theJTe- 

 practice, in trusting to it, we are exposed to licterece, the Bombacece and the Dombeyece, &c. 

 placing in two different families types like the 



