266 Order 24.— MALTAOE^. 



b Flowers dioecious. Stigmas 10, linear. Sirxk. o 



b Flowers perfect. Carpels 5 or more, l-seeded Sida. 



b Flowers perfect. Carpels 5 or many, 3 to D-seeded Abutiion. T 



StigmaslO. Carpels 5, baccate, united Maltavisods. 8 



O Stigmas 10. Carpels 5, dry, distinct P atonia. 9 



c StigmasS. Carpels 5, dry, united into a pod Kosteietzkta. ID 



d Involucre of many bractlcts. Calyx regular HiBisous. 11 



d Involucre of many bractlets. Calyx split on one side Abzlmosciius. 12 



d Involucre of 8 incisely toothed bractlets Gosbypium. IS 



i. ALTHAEA, L. Mabsh Mallow. (Gr. dXdo), to cure ; tte mucil- 

 aginous root is highly esteemed in medicine). Calyx surrounded at base 

 by a 6 to 9-cleft involucel ; styles go, with linear stigmas ; carpels oo, 

 l-seeded, indehiscent, arranged circularly, and at maturity separating 

 from the axis. 



1 A. ofaoinalis L. Lvs. soft-downy on both sides, cordate-ovate, dentate, some- 

 what 3-hbed; ped. much shorter than the leaves, axillary, many-flowered. — If Me. 

 to N. T., borders of salt marshes. St. 3f liigh, erect, firm, covered with thick 

 ■woolly down, with alternate, velvet-like leaves. FIs. large, axillary and terminal, 

 pale purple. The root as well as the other parts of the plants, abounds in muci- 

 lage, and in medicine is often used as an emollient. Sept.:): § Eur. 



2 A. rdsea Cav. Hollyhock. St. erect, hairy ; lvs. cordate, 5 to l-anghd, 

 rugous; fls. axillary, sessile. — ® A tall plant, very commonly cultivated in gar- 

 dans. Numerous varieties have been noticed, with single, double, and semi-double- 

 flowers, of various shades of color, as white, rose-oolored, flesh-oolored, dark red, 

 and even a purplish black, purple, yellow, straw-color, etc. f China? (Alcea 

 rosea L.) 



3 A. fioifolia Cav. Fig-leavbd Hollyhock. St. erect, hairy ; lvs. palmate, 

 7-lobed beyond the middle, lobes oblong, obtuse, angular-toothed.-—® St. tall as 

 the above. FIs. orange-colored, -j- Levant. (Alcea ficifolia L.) 



2. MALVA, L. Mallow. (Gr. ittuAa;)^;?/, soft; on account of the soft 

 mucilaginous properties.) Calyx 5-cleft, the involucel 3-leaved ; petals 

 obcordate or truncate ; styles oo, with linear stigmas ; carpels co, 

 1-celled, l-seeded, indehiscent, arranged circularly, and at maturity sep- 

 arating from the axis. 



§ Leaves orbicular, with 5 to T angular lobes. Carpels obtuse Nos. 1—3 



§ Leaves triangular-deltoid, scabrous. Carpels acute No. 4 



§ Leaves palmately 5 to 7-parted Nos. 5, 6 



1 M. rotundifolia L. Low Mallow. St. prostrate; lvs. roundish, cordate, 

 obtusely 5-lobed ; ped. in fruit reflexed ; cor. (pale) twice as long as the calyx. — 

 % Common in cultivated grounds. Sts. numerous, a foot or more long. Lvs. 

 somewhat reniform, crenate, with 5 to 7 shallow lobes, and on long, hairy stalks. 

 Ped. axillary, aggregate. Petals pale pink, deeply notched. Fr. depressed-glob- 

 0U3, composed of the, numerous carpels arranged circularly, not wrinkled. The 

 child sportively calls them cheeses. Jn. — Oct. § Eur. 



2 M. sylvestris L. High Mallow. St. erect; lvs. 5 to 'J-lobed, lobes of the 

 upper lvs. rather acute ; carp, very rugous ; pet. (purple) 3 times longer than Sep. — 

 A, popular garden flower of the easiest culture, often springing up spontaneously 

 in fields and road-sides, Mid. and "W. States. Height 3f. Pis. reddish-purple, 

 with veins of a darker hue. The whole plant, especially the root, abounds in 

 mucilage. Jn. — Oct. § Eur. 



3 M. orispa L. St. erect; Zus.. angular-lobed, dentate, crisped, smooth; fls. 

 (white) axillary, sessile. — (D A tall, straight, simple, erect plant from Syria. Gar- 

 dens, almost naturalized. St. 5 to 6f high. Lvs. large, roundish, margins abun- 

 dantly crisped and curled. Pis. white, not conspicuous. Jn. — Aug. -j- § Eur. 



4 M. triangul^ta Leav. St. erect, hirsute; lvs. strigous, triangular-deltoid, 

 lower ones, cordate, all undivided, coarsely crenate ; panicle terminal, diffuse, 

 many-flowered ; petals purple ; carp. 10 to 15, slightly beaked. — Prairies and 



