244 



MONADELPHIA POLYANDRIJ. 



347. ALTHiEA. Marsh-mallow. 



Linn. Gen. 353. Juss.272. Fl.Br.739. DeCand. Prodr. v. \. 

 436. Lam. <. 581. Gcertn.t. ]36. 



Nat. Ord. Columniferce. Linn. 37. Malvacece. Juss. 74. 

 Two following genera the same. 



Cal. double, permanent ; outer smallest, of 1 leaf, in about 

 9 narrow deep segments ; inner of 1 leaf; divided half 

 way down into 5 broader segments. Pet. 5, inversely 

 heart-shaped, abrupt, rather oblique, flat, attached by 

 their broad claws to the bottom of the tube of the sta- 

 mens. Filam. numerous, capillary, united below into a 

 tube ; separate in the upper part, both at the summit 

 and sides. Anth. somewhat kidney-shaped. Germ, or- 

 bicular, depressed. Style cylindrical, as long as the tube 

 of the filaments. Stigmas about 20, bristle-shaped, nearly 

 the length of the style. Capsules as many as the stigmas, 

 compressed, ranged in a circle round the columnar re- 

 ceptacle, each of 2 valves and 1 cell, finally deciduous. 

 Seeds solitary, kidney-shaped, compressed. 



Upright herbs, either finely downy, or hairy, with lobed, 

 usually palmate, toothed, stalked, alternate leaves. Sti- 

 pulas in pairs. Fl. stalked, aggregate, axillary and ter- 

 minal, reddish. 



Alcea, the Hollyhock, is united to this genus, perhaps just- 

 ly, by Schreber, Jussieu, DeCandolle and others, as dif- 

 fering chiefly in the fewer segments of its exterior calyx. 



1. A. officinalis. Common Marsh-mallow. 



Leaves simple, very soft and downy, slightly five-lobed. 



A. officinalis. Limi. Sp. PL 966. fViUd.v.3.770. Fl.Br.739. 



Engl. Bot. V. 3. t. 147. Woodv. t. 53. Hook. Scot. 208. DeCand. 



Prodr. V. 1 . 436. Fl. Dan. t. 530. Cavan. Diss. 93. t. 30. f. 2. 



Bull. Fr. t. 373. 

 A. n. 1074. Hall. Hist. V. 2.23. 

 A. vulgaris. Raii Syn. 252. 

 A, Ibiscus. Ger. Em. 933. f. 

 Althaea. Fuchs. Hist. \5.f. Ic.7.f. Matth. Valgr. v.2.276.f. 



Camer.Epit.667.f. Dalcch. Hist. 590./. 

 j3. A. vulgari similis, folio retuso brevi, Raii Syn. 252. 



