Sida] MAZVACEJS. 79 



Kheri dist., Oudh, Merwara. Distbib. : Punjab Plain and Eajputana ; 

 throughont the Himalaya up to 12,000 ft. ; Nilgiris ; also in Abyssinia, 

 Egypt, Europe and China. The leaves land tender shoots are sometimes 

 cooked and eaten as spinach. 



2. M. sylvestris, J-inn. 8p. PI. 689, var. mauritiana, F. B. I. i., 320. 

 lil. mauritiana, Linn. ; Roxh. Fl. Ind. Hi, 181 ; W. Sf A. Prod. 45. 



An erect glabrous annual, 3-5 ft. high. Leaves cordate, rounded, with 

 5-7 obtuse lobes ; petioles as long as the leaves ; stipules oval, acute. 

 Peduncles several, axillary, much shorter than the petioles. Flowers 

 1-1| in. in diam., pale rose streaked with purple. Petals notched ; 

 claw bearded. Carpels wrinkled on the back, glabrous. 



Kheri dist., Oudh; Etawah and Agra districts. Distrib. : Bengal and 

 South India. ■■ Frequently grown in native gardens, and used as a potherb 

 and medicinally. Flowers in cold season. Typical M. sylvestris is found 

 in the Punjab, and on^the W. Himalaya, extending westward to Europe 

 and North Africa, also to Siberia. 



3. M. parviflora, Linn. Diss. Dem. PI. Nov. Amcbu. Acad. Hi, 416; F. B. 

 I. i, 821. Wait E. D. 



A small spreading herb, slightly downy. Leaves roundish, obsoletely 

 5-7 lobed. Peduncles short, spreading after flowering. Bracteoles linear. 

 Sepals accrescent. Petals notched, 'hardly exceeding the sepals; claw gla- 

 brous. Carpels wrinkled. 



A common weed in rich soil, flowering during the cold season. Dis« 

 TEIB. : jBengal, Sindh, Punjab-; extending through Afghanistan to Eu« 

 rope and Arabia. Frequently eaten as a potherb in times of scarcity. 



3. MALVASTRUM, A. Gray ; PL Brit. Ind. i. 321. 



Herbs or undershrubs. Leaves entire, or divided. Inflorescence 

 axillary or terminal. Bracteoles '6, narrow. Calyx 5-parted. Petals 

 longer than the sepals. Staminal-ixyhe antheriferous to the summit, 

 with no sterile teeth. Ovar-y o-or more-celled ; styles as many as 

 the carpels ; stigmas capitate. Eipe carpels separating from a short 

 torus, indehiscent, 1-seeded, beaked or not. Seed ascending. 



M. tricuspidatum, A. Gray., PI. Wright 'i, 16 ; F. B. I. i, 321, 



An erect branching herb, 2-3 ft high; hairs simple. Leaves ovate- 

 lanceolate, irregularly toothed ; petiole I3 in. Peduncles i-^ in. Calyx 

 campanulate ; lobes triangular, acute. Petals yellow. Carpels 8-10, 

 reniform, with 3 projecting points. 



A common weed in cultivated ground, but not indigenous. Distbib. : 

 Bengal, Madras, and tropics of both hemispheres, 



4. SIDA. Linn.; B. Brit. Ind. i. 322. 



Perennial herbs or unaershrubs. Leaves simple, often lobed* 

 Bratteoles 0. Sepals 5, valvate, tnbular beolw. Petals 5, free 



1 



