162 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



GENUS I— A L T H E A. Linn. 



Epicalyx of 6 to 9 leaves, which are nearly equal and united 

 together at the base. Calyx 5-cleft. Fruit depressed-orbicular; 

 the carpels equalling or exceeding the axis or torus, separating 

 when ripe as l-sexled indchiscent cocca. 



Tomentose or hairy herbs with tlie leaves palmately cleft or 

 partite. Flowers purple or rose, solitary and axillary, or in fascicles 

 in the axils of the leaves, frequently collected so as to form terminal 

 racemes or corymbs. 



The name of this genus of plants comes from the Greek word aXQiiv (althein), to 

 Leal, in allusion to the virtues of some of the species. 



SPECIES I.— ALTHEA HIRSUTA. Linn. 

 Plate CCLXXVTI. 

 liekh. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. V. Malv. Tab. CCXXII. Fig. 4846. 



Annual, with no rootstock. Lower leaves 5-lobed ; upper ones 

 3-partite, with the lateral divisions deeply cleft ; all with distant 

 stellate hairs and long simple ones. Pedicels simple, solitary, longer 

 than the leaves from which they spring when in fruit. Sepals 

 glabrous, ciliated on the margins and the niidi'ib with long simple 

 hairs. Petals scarcely longer than the sepals. Carpels wrinkled 

 on the margins, glabrous. 



On the borders of fields. Very rare, and no doubt introduced. 

 By the side of Cobham Park, directly North of Cuxton church. 



[England]. Annual. Smnmer and Autumn. 



Stems numerous, erect or ascending, slightly branched, 3 inches 

 to 2 feet high. Lower leaves stalked, roundisli-reniform, 1 to If 

 inch across, with 5 shallow rounded crenate lobes ; as they are 

 placed higher on the stem, the separation between the lobes 

 becomes deeper, the lobes themselves more acute, and instead of 

 crenate they become crenate-serrate ; higher still, tlic separation 

 between the lobes extends till the lobes become 3-partite, with the 

 lateral lobes 2-cleft ; and the uppermost of all are tripartite, with 

 linear entire lobes. Flowers pale purplish-pink, about 1 inch across, 

 in a simple regular raceme. Epicalyx of G to 9 linear triangular 

 segments, more than half as long as the sepals. Sepals lanceolate- 

 acuminate, 3-nerved, with the lateral nerves only visible at the base, 

 reticulated between the nerves, tuberculate upon the nerves and 

 margins, with long hairs proceeding from the tubercles. Petals 

 obovatc, with the sides nearly straight, the aj)ex truncate or slightly 



