74 MALLOW FAMILY. 



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



Flowers showy, usually large, in summer and autumn. 

 « Tall shrubs or even trees, exotics. 



H. Syriaous, Tree H. or Shkuubt Alth^a, of gardens and grounds, 

 common, native of the Levant : nearly smooth, with wedge-ovate and 3-tobed 

 leaves, and short-pcduncled flowers in their axils, in autumn, ahout 3' broad, 

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



a Bosa-Siii6nsis. China H. or Rose of China. Cult, m conserva- 

 tories, from East Indies (where the splendid corollas, which stain black, arc used 

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

 toothed leaves, and very showy flowers on slender peduncles, 4' or 5' broad, 

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



» » Herbs, with persistent and regular b-lobed calyic, and a short pod. 

 ^- Wild specif, but sometimes cultivated, tall and large, Ij. 



H. eoccineus, Great Red H. or Rose-Mallow. Marshes from Caro- 

 lina S. ; very smooth, 4° - 7° high, with leaves 5-parted or deeply cleft into 

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

 the petals narrowed below. 



it. milit&ris. Halberd-leaved R. Low grounds from Pennsylvania 

 and Illinois S. ; smooth, 3° -4° high, with ovate or heart-shaped toothed or 

 3-lobed leaves, some of them halberd-shaped; and slender-peduncled flowers, 

 with inflated calyx, and flesh-colored corolla 4' - 5' broad. 



H. MoscheutOS, Swumi> R. Common in brackish marshes and up the 

 larger rivers ; 3° - 7° hig^i, soft-downy ; the ovate pointed and often 3-lobed 

 leaves hoary beneath, generally smooth above ; peduncles slender ; corolla 4' - 6* 

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



H. grandiflbrus, Large-fl. R. Swamps, from Illinois and Carolina S. ; 

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



H. aculed,tUS, Prickly or Rough R. Swamps only S. ; rough with 

 stiff bristles and bristly points, 2° - 6° high ; leaves 3 - 5-cleft and the divisions 

 mostly toothed ; flowers short-peduncled ; leaves of the involucre often forked ; 

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



■*- ■\- Exotic loio species, in gardens or cultivated grounds. (T) 



H. Tri6lium, Bladder Ketmia or FLOWER-OF-As-HonR. Rather 

 hairy, 1° - 2° high, with the leaves toothed, or the upper 3-parted into lanceolate 

 lobes, the middle lobe mudi longest ; calyx inflated and bladdery ; corolla about 

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



# * * Herbs, with calgx splitting down one side, and generally falling off at once, 

 and with long or narrow pyramidal or angled pod: natives of East Indies. 



H. esculentus, Okra or Gf-itBO. Nearly smooth, with rounded heart- 

 shaped 5-lobed toothed leaves, greenish-yellow flowers on slender peduncle (invo- 

 lucre falling early), and narrow pods 3' oi 4' long, which are very mucilaginous, 

 and when green cooked and eaten, or used to thicken soups : cult. S. ® 



H. Manihot. Smoothish, with leaves 5 - 7-parted into long narrow divis- 

 ions ; the large and showy corolla pale yellow with a dark eye ; the leaves of 

 the involucre hairy and soon falling off: introduced or cult. S. W. y. 



15. GOSS"i"PIU,M, 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. herb^oeum. Common Cotton. Cult. S. Leaves with 5 short and 

 roundish lobes ; petals pale yellow or turning rose-color, purple at base. ® 



G. Barbadense, Barbadoes or Sea-Island C. Cult, on the coast S. 

 Inclining to be shrubby at base ; branches black-dotted ; leaves with 5 longer 

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

 slender teeth ; petals yellowish or whitish with purple base. 



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

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

 toothed, and a purple corolla with a darker centre. , 



