XXli. MALVACJE^. l2l 



8. URENA, Linn. 

 (Its Malabar name.) ' 



, Braoteoles 6, united in a 5-cleft involucre, adnata to the calyx at the base. 

 Calyx 5-toothed or 5-Iobed. Staminal column bearing several filaments or almost 

 sessile anthers outside, below the truncate or 5-tQothed summit. Ovary-cells 5, 

 1 -ovulate ; style-branches 10, with terminal capitate stigmas. Fruit-carpels 

 seceding from the axis, indehiscent, muricate, or covered with hooked bristles. 

 Seeds ascending. — Rigid tall herbs or shrubs, more or less scabrous-tomentose. 

 Leaves usually angled or lobed, at least the lower ones. Flowers sessile or on 

 very short peduncles, often clustered, axillary or in terminal leafy racemes. 



Besides the one or two species common in all tropical regions, the genus comprises two or 

 three tropical Asiatic ones which appear distinct. As a genus, Urena scarcely differs, from 

 Pavonia. — Benth. ' 



1. U. lobata (lobed), Linn.; DC. Prod^i.iil, \&r. grandiflora; Benth. B" I. 

 Auxtr. i. 206. A hard erect herb or shrub of 2 to 4ft., covered on the stems and 

 under side of the leaves with a whitish, close, often scabrous tomentum. Leaves 

 petiolate, the lower ones nearly orbicular, the upper ones ovate or lanceolate, 

 palmately 8 to 7-veined, irregularly toothed, angular, or broadly and shortly 

 lobed, glabrous above or slightly scabrous-tomentose. Flowers sessile or nearly 

 so. Involucre deeply-cleft into narrow-lanceolate lobes, in the single Australian 

 specimen nearly Jin. long, and fully twice as long as the calyx, but often not 

 longer than the calyx or shorter. Petals pink, about lin. long in this specimen, 

 but often much smaller. Carpels in our specimen shortly muricate.— Bot. Mag. 

 t. 3043 (with short involucres). 



Hab.: Prom Brisbane northward. 



The species is widely spread over tropical America, Africa, and Asia, and is very variable in 

 the shape of the leaf and proportions of the involucre, calyx, and petals, as well as in the carpels, 

 more or less glochidiate or muricate ; and most probably the U. sinuata, Linn., almost equally 

 common, is only a variety with deeply-cut leaves. 



2. U. Armitiana (W. E. Armit), F. v. M. Frm/ni. x. 78. Ah erect shrub, 

 stellate-pillose. Leaves cordate-ovate, angulat-denticulate, 1 to IJin. long, the 

 lower ones larger and on longer petioles than the upper, under side pale, nerves 

 glandular. Flowers racemose or paniculate. Pedicel 1 to 8 lines. Involucre- 

 tube 1 to 2 lines Ictng, lobes linear-lanceolate, 4 to 6 lines long. Calyx almost 

 membranous, lobes puberulent at the margin, narrow-lanceolate. Petals rose- 

 coloured, about 8 lines long. Staminal-tube glabrous ; anthers 10, nearly sessile. 

 Style-branches very short ; stigmas barbillate. Carpels If to 2-J^ lines long, not 

 alochidiate. Seeds rugulose and puberulent. 



Hab.: Etheridge Biver. 



9. PAVONIA, Cav. 

 (After J. Pavon.) 



(Greevesia, F. v. M.) 

 Bracteoles 5 or more, free or united at the base. Calyx 5-toothed or 5-lobed. 

 Staminal column bearing several filaments on the outside, below the truncate 

 or 5-toothed summit. Ovary-cells 5, 1-ovulate ; style-branches 10, with terminal 

 capitate stigmas. Fruit-carpels seceding from the axis, indehiscent or 2-valved 

 at the top, with or without 1 or 3 awns or points, but not covered by the hooked 

 bristles of TJrena. Seeds ascending. — Herbs or shrubs, tomentose, hirsute, or 

 glabrous. Leaves often angled or lobed. Flowers on axillary pedicels . or in 

 terminal heads or clusters. 



A large genus, chiefly South American, with a few species scattered over the warmer regions 

 of the Old World. The Australian species is the same as, one of the South American 

 ones.- Senth. 



