112 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 
Decaschistia, Boschia, Durio, Neesia, Cœlostegia, Cullenia, Reevesia, 
Kleinhovia, Abroma only represented by one or two species of 
tropical Asia. The only Glossostemon known is limited to Persia ; 
most of the Dombeyee are natives of the eastern isles of tropical 
Africa, and there are no Ruizias nor Astirias but in the Masca- 
renes islands nor probably any Cheirolæna but in Madagascar; in Ame- 
rica Theobroma, Ochroma, Cavanillesia, and especially all the species 
Herrania, Gethea, and Napea only belong to a very restricted zone." 
We do not cite any absolute character for this family, for there is 
not a single one which really merits this name. We will only state 
what is to be frequently observed here: pentamerous flowers, a 
valvate calyx, hypogynous stamens and corolla, monadelphous and 
polyadelphus ovules with exterior micropyle when they are ascen- 
dent, interior when they are descendent, leaves alternate exstipulate.? 
The anatomic structure of their stems in the few where it has been 
studied presents also a very great many variations.’ We shall see, 
moreover, presently that two of their principal properties are due toa 
special organization of their liber and the facility with which their 
parenchyma sustains the mucilaginous transformation, 
PropertiEs AND uses.—The herbaceous J/alvacee of our countries 
are known by two principal properties: Their roots, leaves, and 

iliaceæ, Chlenacee, 
M. A. De CANDOLLE are: for Sicily, 1/86; 
France, 1/145; Sweden, 1/233; the temperate 
parts of N. America, 1/125; the regions of 
equinoctial America, 1/47. 
1 The only countries where, inthe special works 
(A. DC. Géogr. Bot., 1207-1230), the relation 
Malvaceæ (100) to the other phancrogamous 
families is found cited, are: the isles of Loo-choo 
and Bonin, 3; English India, 1, 5; the district 
of Banda, 3; the Sandwich Islands, 4; Timor, 3, 
5; the Society Islands, 4; the Cape Verd 
Islands, 3,5 ; Nubia, 6; the Mauritius, 3; Congo, 
3; the Isle of St. Thomas, 5; Barbadoes, 3; 
the western coast of intertropical America, 3, 5 ; 
East Cape,4,5. The Malvacea, then, are in general 
from two to six times less numerous thon the 
Leguminosae, the Graminacee, the Composila, &e. 
2 The relationship with the neighbouring 
families has already been opportunely stated, as 
regards Urticacee and Phytolaccee; it shall be so 
subsequently as regards 
Geraniacee, Euphorbiaceae, &e, 
3 See ScHLEID., Grundz., 60, 62.—HENFR., 
Microse, Dict., art. Woop.—Ottv., Stem. in 
Dicot., 7. M. SCHLEIDEN (in Wigem., Arch., 
1832) has proved in certain Bombaceæ the 
rarity of fibrous tissue in the zones of the wood, 
formed almost entirely of vessels and cellular 
tissue. OLIVER has seen in a Sterculia (Dela- 
bechea rupestris), a wood with large tubular 
cavities due, without doubt, to the absorption of 
the enormous mass of cells, and in the persistent 
parts, vessels and a particular parenchyma 
sprinkled with masses of thick elongated cells. 
Watrers has especially studied the wood and 
the bark of the Baobabs. Almost everything 
remains to be done on this question ; the wood 
of Sterculiee and Buettneriee, among others, 
will offer to the observer very numerous and 
varied subjects of research. 
