MALVACEAE 321 



Species 6 or 7 of wide tropical and subtropical distribution, 1 i» the 

 Philippines. 



1. K. batacensis (Blanco) F.-VilL Calot-calotan (Tag.). 



A spreading or somewhat erect branched herb, 1 m high or less, all 

 parts more or less stellate-pubescent and with scattered stellate-hispid 

 hairs. Leaves suborbicular, 2 to 5 cm long, shallowly 3-lobed, toothed, base 

 cordate, 5- to 7-nerved. Flowers axillary, long-peduncled, solitary, about 

 1.5 cm long, the bracteoles linear, 7 to 10, as long as the pubescent and 

 hispid calyx. Corolla pinkish-red. Fruit about 1 cm in diameter, de- 

 pressed, prominently 5-angled or wiijged, loculicidally dehiscent. 



In open waste places, Pasay, fl. Jan.-Feb. Known only from Luzon 

 and apparently of very loial occurrence; possibly an introduced plant. 



8. ABELMOSCHUS Medikus 



Coarse, erect, branched, usually annual herbs, more or less hairy, with 

 siibentire or variously lobed leaves and large, alternate, axillary flowers. 

 Bracteoles 5 or more. Calyx spathe-like, split down one side and falling 

 after flowering. Petals 5, connate at the base with the staminal-tube. 

 Staminal-tube toothed at the apex and bearing many anthers. Ovary 

 5-celled, cells many-ovuled. Styles 5, connate below. Capsule loculicidally 

 5-valved. (From an Arabian name signifying "father of musk" in refer- 

 ence to the musky odor of the seeds of some species.) 



Species 15 or more of wide tropical distribution, about 8 in the Phil- 

 ippines. 



Peduncles about as long as the petioles; capsules 7 cm long or less; seeds 

 with a musky odor 1. A. moschatua 



Peduncles very much shorter than the petioles; capsules 10 to 20 cm long; 

 cultivated only. 2. A. esculentus 



1. A. MOSCHATUS Medik. {Hibiscus abelmoschus L.). Castuli, Calupi 

 (Tag.). 



An annual, erect, branched, hispid-hairy herb 1 m high or less. Leaves 

 orbicular-ovate to ovate in outline, 6 to 15 cm long, variously angled or 

 lobed, the angles or lobes usually 3 or 5, rarely more, usually broad, base 

 cordate, apex acuminate, margins toothed. Peduncles about as long as the 

 petioles. Bracteoles linear, usually about 8, i.5 cm long. Calyx 2 to 8 

 cm long, split down one side, toothed at the apex. Corolla yellow, purple 

 at the base inside, about 10 cm in diameter. Capsule oblong-ovoid, 5 to 7 

 cm long, hispid-hairy. Seeds musky»Bu(Fl. Filip. pi. U5.) 



In waste places, occasional, fl. -most of the year; widely distribi^fced in 

 the Philippines, and probably of prehistoric introduction here. India to 

 Malaya, cultivated in many other tropical countries. 



*2. A. ESCULENTUS (L.) Moench. ifiibisous esculentus L.). Okra, Gumbo. 

 A coarse, erect, branched, annual herb 0.6 to 1.5 m high, more or less 

 hairy. Leaves orbicular or orbicular ovate, 25 cm long or less, base cordate, 

 margins 3- or 5-lobed, the lobes broadly ovate to oblong, coarsely toothed, 

 the petioles equaling or longer than the leaves. Flowers axillary, solitary, 

 their pedicels about 2 cm long. Bracteoles 8 or 10, linear, deciduous. Calyx 

 hairy, about 3 cm long. Corolla large, yellow, deep-purple at the base 

 inside'. Capsule 10 to 20 cm long, narrowly oblong. 



111665 ^21 



