DICOTYLEDONES— THALAMIPLORiE 279 



attached to the ventral sutures when the carpels are apocarpous, 

 or axile when the ovary is compound ; styles eiiualling the 

 carpels in number, united or distinct. Fruit either a carcerule, 

 that is, consisting of a number of 1-ceUed, indehiscent, 1- or 

 many-seeded carpels ; or a capsule with looulicidal or septioidal 

 dehiscence, and numerous seeds. Seeds sometimes hairy ; 

 albumen none or in small quantity ; o/iiryo curved; cotyledons 

 much twisted. 



Diagnosis. — Leaves alternate, palmately veined, simple, 

 stipulate. Elowers regular. Calyx with valvate or some form 

 of circular aestivation. Petals twisted in aestivation. Stamens 

 l^ypogynous, numerous ; anthers 1-celled, reniform, dehiscing 

 transversely ; filaments united so as to form a column. Carpels 

 distinct or united. Seeds with very little or no albumen ; 

 embryo curved ; cotyledons twisted. 



Division of the Order and Illustrative Qencra. — This order 

 may be divided into three tribes as follows : — 



Tribe 1. Malvece. — Flowers furnished with an involucre or epi- 

 calyx {fig. 1066). Fruit consisting of separate carpels (apo- 

 carpous) (fig. 1069). Illustrative Qenera : — Malva, Linn.; 

 Althaea, Linn. 



Tribe 2. Hibiscece. — Flowers furnished with an involucre. 

 Fruit formed of united carpels (syncarpous). Illustrative 

 Genera : — Hibiscus, Linn, ; Gossypium, Linn. 



Tribe 3. Sidece. — Flowers without an involucre. Fruit 

 apocarpous or syncarpous. Illustrative Genus : — Sida, 

 Linn. 



Distribution and Numbers. — These plants are chiefly 

 natives of the tropics and the warmer parts of temperate regions. 

 They diminish gradually as we approach the north, and are 

 altogether absent from the frigid zone. There are more than 

 1,000 species. 



Properties and Uses. — No plant of this order possesses any 

 deleterious properties. The order is generally characterised by 

 mucilaginous and demulcent qualities. From the bast of many 

 species strong and tough fibres are obtained, and the hairs cover- 

 ing the seeds of certain species constitute cotton. 



Order 83. Steecdliace*, the Silk-cotton Order. — Charac- 

 ter. — Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing. Leaves alternate, 

 simple or compound, with deciduous stipules. Flowers usually 

 perfect, sometimes by abortion unisexual, regular or irregular, 

 often surrounded by an involucre. Calyx and corolla resem- 



