MALVACEAE. 



Vol. II. 



7. Hibiscus Syriacus L. Shrubby Althaea. Rose- 

 of -Sharon. Fig. 2875. 



Hibiscus Syriacus L. Sp. PI. 695. 1753. 



A branching nearly glabrous shrub, io°-20° high. Leaves 

 short-petioled, ovate, 2'-e,' long, obtuse or cuneate at the 

 base, acute but blunt at the apex, 3^5-lobed or the upper 

 merely dentate, sometimes with a few scattered stellate 

 hairs on the upper surface; flowers axillary, short-pedun- 

 cled, pink or white with a crimson centre, 2'-4' broad; 

 bractlets linear, shorter than the calyx, or slightly exceed- 

 ing it; peduncles, bractlets and Calyx stellate-pubescent; 

 capsule ovoid, nearly i' long. 



Sparingly escaped from cultivation, Connecticut to Pennsyl- 

 vania, the District of Columbia and Georgia. Introduced from 

 western Asia. Aug.-Sept. 



Family 86. THEACEAE DC. Prodr. i : 529. 1824. 



Tea Family. 

 Trees or shrubs, with alternate or rarely opposite pinnately-veined mainly 

 exstipulate leaves, and large axillary or terminal flowers. Flowers regular, mostly 

 perfect. Sepals 5 (rarely 4-7), imbricated, the inner ones generally larger than 

 the outer. Calyx often 2-bracted at the base. Petals 5 (rarely 4-9), hypogynous, 

 imbricated, crenulate. Stamens 00, numerous, hypogynous, more or less united 

 at their bases. Ovary sessile, 2-several-celled ; styles i or several ; ovules 2 or 

 more in each cavity. Fruit a 3-5-celled generally woody capsule with loculicidal 

 or septicidal dehiscence ; endosperm little or none ; embryo large, with condupli- 

 cate cotyledons. 



About 16 genera and i6o species, natives of tropical and warm regions. 

 Stamens monadelphous. i. Stewartia. 



Stamens 5-adelphous. 2. Gordonia. 



I. STEWARTIA L. Sp. PI. 698. 1753. 



Shrubs, with deciduous membranous serrulate leaves, and large showy a.xillary solitary 

 flowers on short peduncles. Sepals S, rarely 6, slightly unequal, ovate or lanceolate. Petals 

 of the same number, obovate. Stamens monadelphous below; anthers versatile. Ovary 

 5-celled; styles i or 5 ; ovules 2 in each cell, anatropous, ascending; capsule ovoid, woody, 

 5-celled, loculicidally dehiscent. Embryo straight. Cotyledons oval, longer than the inferior 

 radicle. [Named in honor of John Stuart, Marquis of Bute.] 



Six species, natives of North America and Japan. Type species : Stewartia Malachodendron L. 



Style I, compound; stigma 5-lobed ; seeds marginless ; capsule subglobose. i. S. Malachodendron. 



Styles 5, distinct ; seeds wing-margined ; capsule ovoid, s-angled. 2. S. pentagyna. 



I. Stewartia Malachodendron L. Round-fruited 

 Stewartia. Fig. 2876. 



Stewartia Malachodendron L. Sp. PI. 698. 1753. 

 Stewartia virginica Cav. Diss. 5 : pi. 158. f. 2. 1787. 



A shrub, 6°-i2° high, the branches pubescent when young. 

 Leaves oval, acute or acuminate at each end, 2'-^ long, \\'-2' 

 wide, serrulate with mucronate-tipped teeth, pubescent below, 

 glabrous above; petioles 2"-4" long; flowers axillary, 3'-4' 

 broad, solitary or occasionally in pairs, very short-peduncled ; 

 sepals ovate or orbicular, obtuse, silky-pubescent, united at 

 the base ; petals 5, white, sparingly pubescent on the under 

 side, minutely crenulate; filaments purple; anthers blue; style 

 I, compound; stigma 5-lobed; capsule subglobose, 6"-8" long, 

 pubescent; seeds marginless. 



In woods, Virginia to Florida, west to Louisiana. April-May. 



