448 STEECULIACE^. 



fruit of Ahelmoschus esculentus (Hibiscus esculentus), called Ochro and 

 Gombo, are used as articles of food. Hibiscus eannabinus is the source 

 whence sunnee-hemp is procured in India. Hibiscus mutabilis receives 

 its name from the changing colour of its flowers, varying from a pale 

 rose to a rich pink colour. Other species of Hibiscus as well as Pari- 

 tium tiUaceum yield useful fibres. The bark of Paritium elatum fur- 

 nishes Cuba Bast. Cotton is composed of the hairs surrounding the 

 seeds of various species of Qossypiwm. These hairs, when dry, exhibit 

 under the microscope a peculiar twisted appearance. Gossypium 

 barbadense seems to be the species which yields the best cotton ; the 

 Sea-Island, New Orleans, and Georgian cotton being produced by 

 varieties of it. Oossypiv/m peruvianum or acuminatum furnishes the 

 South American cotton ; Gossypium herbaceum, the common cotton of 

 India. G. arbormm is the Indian-tree cotton. The Chinese Nankin 

 cotton is furnished by a variety of G. herbaceum. The quality of 

 cotton-wool depends on the length, strength, and firmness of the 

 tissue, or, as it is called, the staple. These essential attributes are 

 modified by the cleanliness and the colour. Long-stapled cottons are 

 generally used for the twist or warp, and short-stapled for the weft. 

 The value of cotton varies not only according to the species, but also 

 according to the nature of the climate in which it grows. The total 

 import of raw Cotton into Britain in 1874 was upwards of 12J 

 millions of cwts. The seeds of the cotton-plants yield oil which has 

 been used for lamps ; when bruised they are employed for oil-cake. 

 Cotton is used in the preparation of gun-cotton and of collodion. 



Order 27. — Steeculiacb^, the Sterculia and Silk-cotton Family. 

 (Polypet. Hypoff.) Calyx of 5, more or less united, sepals, often sur- 

 rounded by an involucre ; ssstivatioh usually valvate. Petals 5 or 

 none, hypogynous, sestivation twisted. Stamens usually oo ; their 

 filaments variously united ; anthers 2-celled, extrorse. Pistil of 5 

 (rarely 3) carpels, either distinct or cohering ; styles equal in number 

 to the carpels, free or cohering; ovules orthotropal (fig. 619, p. 342) 

 or anatropal. Pmit capsular, usually with 5 cells, or follicular or 

 succulent. Seeds often with a wooUy covering ; with a fleshy or 

 oily perisperm (rarely 0), and either a straight or a curved embryo ; 

 cotyledons leafy or thick, plaited or rolled round the plumule.' — Trees 

 or shrubs, with alternate leaves, which are either simple or compound, 

 deciduous stipules, and often a stellate pubescence. They are distin- 

 guished from Malvaceae by their dithecal extrorse anthers. They 

 inhabit warm climates. The order has been divided into the follow- 

 ing tribes : — 1. Bombacese, with hermaphrodite flowers and palmate 

 or digitate leaves ; found most abundantly in America. 2. Helic- 

 terese, with hermaphrodite flowers and simple leaves ; apparently 

 unknown in Africa. 3. Sterculiese, with unisexual flowers, and either 

 simple or palmate leaves ; chiefly in India and Africa. Authors men- 



