74 MALVACEAE. 



Herbs, or rarely somewhat shrubby plants, growing in 

 wet places, hispid with sharp bristly hairs, and the stems 

 usually marked with tomentose-pubescent lines. Leaves 

 long-petioled, rounded, usually palmately lobed. Stipules 

 free. Peduncles axillary, terminated by a head of five or 

 more sessile flowers, which are inclosed by an involucre of 

 three or more cordate floral leaves. The head frequently 

 exhibits several setaceous bracts, some of which consist of 

 the stipules of the involucral leaves ; but there is no involu- 

 cel at the base of the calyx. Corolla yellow, or white with 

 a tinge of red. 



Etymology. From ^aXdxr], an ancient name of some Malvaceous plant, 

 probably the Hollyhock, so called on account of its emollient properties. 



Geographical Distribution. A genus of a few chiefly tropical plants, 

 both of the Old and the New World. The sole representative in the United 

 States has recently been detected in Texas by Mr. Charles Wright. 



PLATE 129. Malachra Mexican a, Schroder? — a portion of a stem with 

 a leaf, peduncle, &c., of the natural size; from a specimen culti- 

 vated in the Cambridge Botanic Garden from seeds of the Texan 

 plant. 



1. One of the three leaves of the involucre, of the natural size. 



2. Diagram of the six-flowered capitulum. The smallest figures are sec- 



tions of the stipular bractlets. 



3. Vertical section of the column, ovary, &c., magnified. 



4. The pistil magnified, with the 5-celled ovary cut across. 



5. The 5-coccous fruit, in the calyx, magnified. 



6. The same, vertically divided ; two carpels taken away. 



7. One of the separated carpels, equally magnified. 



8. Vertical section of the same, and of its seed and embryo. 



9. A seed detached entire, magnified. 



10. The embryo detached entire, magnified. 



