XXII. MALVACEiE. 107 



often enclosing the curved or rarely straight radicle.— Herbs, shrubs, or soft- 

 wooded trees, the hairs usually stellate. Leaves alternate, mostly toothed, lobed 

 or divided, with palmate nerves or divisions, rarely digitately compound. Stipules 

 free, usually subulate or small and deciduous, rarely leafy. Peduncles usually 

 1 -flowered and articulate above the middle, rarely bearing a bract at the joint or 

 several-flowered, all axillary or the upper ones forming a terminal raceme or 

 panicle. Bracteoles either none or 8 or more, free or united, forming an 

 involucre close to or adherent to the calyx. Flowers often large, usually purple, 

 red, or yellow. 



A large Order generally dispersed over all except the coldest regions of the globe, distinguished 

 from SUrculiaceiB and Tiliacece by the 1-celled anthers, and from all others by the valvate calyx 

 and monadelphous hypogynous stamens. Of the 15 following genera, 12 are more or less 

 tropical, 7 being common to the warmer regions of both the New and the Old World ; 4, 

 MalvaMrum, Modiola, Pavonia, and Fugosia, chiefly American, or American and African, but not 

 Asiatic ; and 1, Thespesia, African and Asiatic. Lavatera is a Mediterranean form, represented 

 by one species in extratropical Australia, the remaining 2 are endemic or nearly so, Plagi- 

 antlms being also represented in New Zealand and Lagunaria in Norfolk Island. — Benth. in part. 



Tribe I. nXalveSB. — Staminal column bearing filaments to the summit. Style-branches 

 the same number as ovary-cells. Mature carpels separating more or less from the aj:is (imperfectly 

 "otn some Abutila). 

 Ovules solitary in each cell, ascending with a ventral raphe. 



Styje-branches lined with decurrent stigmas. 



Bracteoles 3 to 6, united at the base 1. Lavatbba. 



Bracteoles 3, distinct 2. Malva. 



Stigmas terminal, capitate or truncate. Bracteoles 1 to 3 distinct, or none . 3. Malvastrum. 

 Ovules solitary in each cell, pendulous or horizontal with a dorsal raphe. 

 Bracteoles none. 



Styles with decurrent stigmas. Flowers more or less dioecious 4. Plaoianthds. 



Stigmas terminal, capitate, or truncate .5. Sida. 



Otules 2 or more in each cell. Bracteoles none. Stigmas terminal. Capsule 



5 to 20-celled, separating or cohering at least till the seed has shed ... 6. Abutilon. 



Bracteoles 8. Carpels with transverse septas inside 7. Modiola. 



Tbibe II. TTrene's. — Staminal column truncate or S-toothed at the smnniit, bearing the anthers 

 or filaments on the outside. Style-branches twice the number of carpels. Carpels 1-seeded. 



Bracteoles 5, united at the base. Carpels muricate or gloohidiate 8. Urena. 



Brapteoles 5 or more, usually free. Carpels reticulate or smooth 9. Pavosia. 



Tribe III. KibisceSB. — Staminal column truncate or 5-toothed at the summit, bearing the 

 anthers or filaments on the outside, or rarely at the summit also. Style-branches or stigmas the 

 same number as ovary-cells. Carpels united in a several-celled capsule, loculicidal or indehiscent. 

 Style branched at the top or with radiating stigmas. Ovary 5 celled. 



Bracteoles 5 or more, free or united (sometimes very deciduous). Hairs or 



tomentum stellate 10. Hibiscus. 



Bracteoles 3 (sometimes very deciduous). Tomentum of scurfy scales . .11. Lagunaria. 

 Style undivided, with decurrent stigmas. 



Bracteoles 3 to 5, narrow, not cordate, sometimes very small. 



Ovary 3, 4, or rarely 5-oelled. Capsule coriaceous, loculicidal .... 12. Fdgosia. 

 Ovary 5-celled. Capsule woody, sometimes indehiscent .... 13. Thespesia. 



Bracteoles 3, broad, cordate 14. Gossypium. 



Tribe IV. BombaceSB. — Staminal column in the Australian genera (only one genus repre- 

 sented in Queensland) divided at the top into numerous filaments, in other genera the filaments or 

 anthers variously arranged. Style undivided, or with very short stigmatic lobes as many as ovary- 

 cells. Carpels united in a loculicidal or indehiscent capsule. — A large tropical tribe, difficult to 

 distinguish from arborescent HibiscecB by a general character, although each genus has peculiarities 

 not found among Hibisceai. 

 Calyx truncate in the bud, afterwards 3 to 5-cleft. Capsule 5-valved, densely 



woolly inside. Leaves digitate 1.5. Bombax. 



1. LAVATERA, Linn. 



(After the Lavaters of Zurich.) 



Bracteoles united into a 3 to 6-cleft involucre. Calyx 5-lobed. Staminal 

 column divided to the top into several filaments. Ovary-cells indefinite, 

 1 -ovulate. Style-branches of the same number as cells, filiform, stigmatic along 



