74 MALLOW FAMILT. 



14. HIBISCUS, ROSE-MALLOW. (Ancient name, of obscure origin.) 



Flowers showy, usually largo, in summer and autumn. 

 * Tall shrubs or eiien trees, exotics. 



H. Svrlaous. Tunt; II. or SiiRUHiiV Ai,TH.TiA, of ganlons and grouncK 

 common, native of the Levant: nearly smooth, witli wedge-ovate and .3-lobea 

 leaves, and short-peduncled flowers in their axils, in autumn, about .3 broad, 

 purple, rose-color, white, &c., often double. ^ , . 



H. Bosa-SinensiS. Chisa H. or Rose of Ciiin.v. Cult m consen-a- 

 tories, from East Indies (where the splendid corollas, ^^illch stain black, are used 

 to black shoes) : very smooth, with bright green ovate and pouited somewhat , 

 toothed leaves, and very showy flowers on slender peduncles, 4 or o broad, • 

 scarlet-red (rarely rose-purple or even white), often double. 



# * Herbs, with persistent and regular ^-hbed calyx, and a short pod. 

 1- Wild species, hut sometimes cultivated, tall and larije. 2/ 



H. COCOineUS, Grkat Red H. or Rosi;--Mali.ow. Marshes from Caro- 

 lina S.; very smooth, 4° -7° high, with leaves 5-partcd or deeply clett mto 

 long lanceolate and taper-pointed divisions, and bright-red corolla 6'- 11 broad, 

 the petals narrowed below. „' -r. i • 



H. milit^l'is, HaliuvUD-leaved R. Low grounds from Pennsylvania 

 and Illinois S. ; smootli, 3° - 4<> high, with ovate or heart-shaijetl toothed or 

 3-lobed leaves, some of them halbcrd-sh.aped, and slender-ijcduncled flowers, 

 with inrtateil caly.\, and fle.5li-colored cui'oihi 4' - .")' broad. 



H. MoschefltOS, Sw.v.mi- R. Common in brackish marshes and up the 

 larger rivers ; 3° - 7° high, soft-downy ; tlie ovate pointed aiul often 3_-lobed 

 leaves hoary beneath, gjiierally smooth above ; ]icdiinclcs slender ; corolla "4' - 6' 

 broad, pale rose or white, with or without a darker centre ; pod smooth. 



H. grandifldrus, L.vi;i,a;-FL. R. Swamps, from Illinois and Carolina S. ; 

 like the last, but leaves soft-downy Ijoth sides, and pod velvety-hairy. 



H. acule^lUS, I'uicklv or RoiTcMi R. Swamjis only S. ; rough with 

 stiff bristles and bristly points, 2° - C° high ; leaves 3 - 5-cleft and the divisions 

 mostly toothed ; flowers sliort-pcduiicled ; leaves of the involucre often forked ; 

 corolla yellow with a purple centre, 4' broad ; pod bristly. 



■t- -1- Exotic low species, in i/ardens or cultivated ijrounds. (T) 



H. Tribnum, Bi.ahdek Ketmia or FLOWEi!-OF-.v>--iiO[Tii. Rather 

 hairy, 10-2° high, Avitli the leaves toothed, or the upper 3-partcd into lanceolate 

 lobes, the middle loba much longest; calyx inflated and liladdery ; corolla iibout 

 2' broad, sulphur-yellow with a blackish eye, open only in midday sunshine. 



* * * Herbs, with calyx splitting down one side, and generally fa'ling oJJ'at once, 

 and with long or narrow pyramidal or angkd jiod : natives uf Kasl Indies. 



H. eseul6ntUS, Okra or Gumbo. Nearly smooth, with rounded heart- 

 shaped ;)-l()bod toothed leaves, greenish-yellow flowers on slender pediiiK-le (invo- 

 lucre falling early), and narrow pods 3' or 4' long, which arc very mucilaginous, 

 and when green cooked and eaten, or used to thicken sonps : cult. S. \\) 



H. Mauihot. Smoothisli, with leaves .5-7-partcd into long narrow divis- 

 ions ; the large and showy corolla i)ale yellow with a dark eye ; the lea^■es of 

 the involucre hairy and soon falling off: introtluccd or cult. S. VV. 21. 



15. GOSSYPIUM, COTTON. (Name given by Pliny, from the Arabic.) 

 Plants now diffused over warm countries, most valuable for the wool on the 

 seeds : the species much mixed up. 



G. herbaeeum, Comjion Cottox. Cult. S. Leaves with .5 short and 

 roundish lobes ; petals pale yellow or turning wse-eolor, purple at base, fi) 



G. Barbadense, Bai:"iiadoes on Sea-Island C. Cult, on the coast S. 

 Inclining to bo shrubby at base ; branches black-dotted ; leaves with 5 loiejrcr 

 lance-ovate and taper-pointed lobes ; leaves of the involucre with very long and 

 slender teeth ; petals yellowish or whitish with purple ba.se. 



Or. arbdreum, Tree C. Cult. S., only for curiosity, has 5-7 nearly 

 lanceolate and taper-pointed lobes to the loaves, leaves of involucre slightly 

 toothed, and a purple corolla with a darker centre. 



