396 MONADELPHIA POLYANDRIA 



acuminate. Petals pale red, or flesh-colored, broad-cuneate, rctuse, or emarginatt 

 2 or 3 times as long as the calyx. 



Hab. Gardens : frequent. Ft July— August. Fr. September— October. 



Obs. A mucilaginous plant ; and occasionally cultivated as a medicinal herb 

 There are no native species in the U. States ; but the A. rosea, or Holly hock ig 

 very common, and almost naturalized, about our gardens. 



327. HIBISCUS. L. Mat. Gen. 580. 

 [An ancient Greek name of a plant of the Mallow tribe.] 



Calyx 5-cIcft, or 5-toothed ; involucre mostly many-leaved, leaves 

 linear, sometimes united at base. Stigmas 5 to 10. Carpels united 

 in a 5 or 10-celled eapsule ; valves septiferous in the middle; cells 

 many-seeded, rarely 1 -seeded. 



Herbaceous, or shrubby : leaves alternate, stipular, palmate- lobed, or undivi. 

 ded ; flowers axillary and terminal. Nat. Ord. 24. Limit. Malvacejb. 



1. H. ebculektus, L. Herbaceous ; leaves somewhat obtusely and 

 palmately 5-lobed, cordate at base, lobes dentate ; calyx bursting Iqu 

 erally ; fruit pyramidal, sulcate. DC. Prodr. 1. p. 450. 

 Esculent Hibiscus. Vulgo — Ok-ra. 



Root annual. Stem 18 inches to 2 feet high, stout, somewhat branched, sparsely 

 and hispidly pilose. Leaves 3 or 4 to 6 inches long, and wider than long, sparsely 

 hirsute and roughish-dotted, pentagonal in their outline, lobed about half uayto 

 the base ; petioles 3 to 6 inches long, hirsute, especially along the upper side ; sti. 

 pules lance-linear % hispid-ciliatc. Flowers axillary, solitary ; peduncles half an 

 inch to an inch long, hispid. Involucre hispid, cup-shaped at base, with about 10 

 lance-linear erect distant segments, uhich are half an inch to 3 quarters long } and 

 deciduous. Calyx membranous, 5-toothed, hispid on both sides, bursting later, 

 ally. Petals about an inch and half long, and an inch wide, roundish-obovate, pale 

 greenish yellow, tcith a dark purple spot at base. Stigmas 10, purplish, pubescent. 

 Capsule about 2 inches long, erect, Wangled, 10-celled, oblong, or rather pyra. 

 midal. 



Hab. Gardens : not very common. Fl. August. Fr. September— October. 

 Obs. This is occasiotmlly cultivated in kitchen gardens, as a pot-herb. 



2. H. Trionum, L. Herbaceous ; leaves deeply 3-parted, lobes lance- 

 oblong, coarsely and obtusely incised-dentate, the middle lobe much the 

 longest ; calyx inflated, membranaceous, ribbed, 5-winged at apex 

 Beck, Bot. p. 58. 



Vulgo — Bladder Ketmia. Venitian Mallow. Flower of an hour. 

 Root annual. Stem 9 to 18 inches high, somewhat branched, sparingly hispid, 

 with an alternating line of finer pubescence. Leaves sparingly pilose, deeply 

 3-parted, the upper ones almost ternate ; segments of the lower ones half an inch 

 to an inch long, cuneate, incised-dentate at apex,— of the upper ones 1 to 2 or 3 

 inches long, somewhat pinnatifidly incised-dentate, the middle segment nearly 

 twice as long as the lateral ones ; petioles half an Inch to an inch and half long, 

 pubescent, with subulate stipules at base. Flowers axillary, solitary ; peduncles 

 about as long as the petioles, pubescent. Involucre of about 9 or 10 linear hispid- 

 ciliate leaves. Calyx membranaceous, inflated, ovoid, with 20 tuberculate hispid 

 ribs, 5-cieft and 5-winged at apex | segments ovate, acute, the margins reflexed, 



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