35 



N. Ord. MALVACE J3. Lindl., Veg. K., p. 368 ; Baill., Hist. PL, iv ; 



Le Maout & Dec., p. 279. 

 Tribe Malve<s. 



Genus Althaea,* Linn. B. & H., Gen., i, p. 200 ; Baill., 1. c., 

 p. 138. About 12 species, natives of the temperate and 

 warmer regions of the northern hemisphere. 



35. Althaea officinalis, Linn., 8p. PL ed. i, p. 686 (1753). 



Marsh Mallow. 



Figures. Woodville, t. 198 ; Hayne, ii, t. 25 ; Steph. & Ch., t. 51 ; Nees, 

 t. 417 ; Berg & Sch., t. 21 f ; Syme, E. Bot., ii, t. 278. 



Description. A perennial herb with numerous stems springing 

 from a large, thick, elongated, tough, fleshy, yellowish-white, 

 tapering root-stock, reaching a foot in length. Stems erect, stiff, 

 2 4 feet high, unbranched or nearly so, cylindrical, covered with 

 a very dense, velvety pubescence of stellate hairs. Leaves alter- 

 nate on rather long stalks, 1J 3 inches long, the lower ones 

 roundish- ovate, the upper triangular- oval, or somewhat 3- or 

 5-lobed, irregularly cut, acute, serrate, rather thick, plaited, velvety 

 on both sides with a close felt-like pubescence, and some longer 

 hairs on the veins, pale greyish-green; stipules narrowly tri- 

 angular, quickly caducous. Flowers in small axillary clusters of 

 2 4 or solitary, shortly stalked, forming at the end of the stem 

 narrow leafy panicles. Involucre (epicalyx) with 7 10 subulate- 

 triangular erect segments. Calyx deeply divided into 5 narrowly 

 triangular acute segments, about twice the length of the involucre, 

 densely pubescent, persistent. Corolla cup-shaped, varying from 

 1 to 2 inches across, of 5 obcordate wedge-shaped and truncate petals 

 coherent by their narrow bases, pale purplish-rose-coloured, finely 

 veined, twisted in the bud. Stamens numerous, monadelphous, 

 the filaments combined in their lower portion to form a thick 

 hollow tube, united at the base with the corolla, anthers drooping, 



* Althsea, d\0aia, Dioscorides, from a\0av, to heal. 



