Si DA.] MALVACEM. 81 



Common within the area. Distrib. : Hotter parts of India, and throngh- 

 out the tropics. The roots and leaves are used medicinally, 



3. S. acuta. Burm. f. Fl. Ind. 147 ; Eoxb. Fl. Ind. Hi, 171 ; W. <^ A. 

 Prod. 57 ; D. ^ G. Bomh. Fl. 17, S. carpinifolia, Linn. ; F. B. I. i, 328 ; 

 Watt E. D. S. Janceolata, Uoxb. I, c. 175. S. stipnlata, Cav. ; W. & A. 

 Prod, 57. . 



A small mxTch-hranched undershruh. Branches smoother slightly rough 

 with minute stellate hairs. Leaves 1-3 in. long, lanceolate-ohlong, 

 rounded at the base, acute or ohtuse, serrate or crenate-serrate, glabrous, 

 pale beneath ; stipules linear-subulate, longer, than the petioles, veined, 

 ciliate. Peduncles jointed near the middle, equalling the petioles. Oalyx- 

 tube subglobose ; segments triangular, acute, nearly glabrous. Corolla 

 twice as long as the calyx, yellow. Carpels 5-10, rugose 2-awned, 



Common within the area ; flowering during the latter part of the rainy 

 season. Distrib. : Throughout the hotter parts of India, and other 

 tropical parts of the world. The stems yield a good fibre, and various 

 parts of the plant are used medicinally. 



4. S. rhomtoifolia, Linn. Sp. PI. 684 ; Boxb. Fl. Ind. Hi, 176 ; Boyle 

 III. 84 ; F. B. I. i, 823 , Watt E. B. 



A small erect undershrub. Branches rough with stellate hairs. Leaves 

 1-2 in. rhomboid-lanceolate or obovate, acute, glabrous or slightly Ihairy 

 above, more or less | stellate-hairy beneath ; margin entire towards the base, 

 dentate-serrate above ; stipules linear-setaceous, longer than the petiole. 

 Peduncles axillary or clustered at the ends of the branches. Flowers 

 g-l in. in diam., yellow or white. Sepals deltoid, acute or acuminate. 

 Carpels 10, with short or long beaks. 



Very common within the area. Distrib. : Throughoiit India, and in the 

 tropics of both hemispheres. This species varies greatly as to the 

 shape of the leaves, the relative length of the peduncle, and position of 

 the joint, also in the length of the Jcarpellary awns. Of the five varieties 

 described in the Fl. Brit. Ind., the two following are found in the Upper 

 Gangetic Plain. 



Var. 1. rhomboidea ; Boxh. Hort. Beng. 50 ; Fl. Ind. Hi, 176 (sp.) ; W. 

 Sf A. Prod. 57 ; Watt E. D. Leaijes rhomboid-lanceolate, serrate, hoary 

 beneath. Peduncles more than half the length of the leaves, jointed 

 at the base. Floivers usually collected in leafy corymbs at the ends of 

 the branches. Awns of carpels very short and inflected. Roxburgh 

 mentions that the flowers open at noon. 



Var. 2. obovata, Wall. Gat. 1864 {sp.); Watt E. D. Leaves large, 

 broadly obovate, hoary beneath, apex coarsely toothed, base cuneat e 

 Peduncle longer than the petiole, but shorter than the blade. 



5. S. grewioides. Guill. ^ Perr. Fl. Seneg. Tent. i. 71 ; F. B. I. i. 323. 

 A cano-tomentose undershrub. Leaves about | in. long, oblong-ovate,. 



obtuse, crenate, downy on both surfaces ; petiole shorter than the blade • 

 stipules linear, subulate, nearly as long as the petiole. Peduncles solitary 

 or twin, shorter than the petioles. Floivers small, yellow or white.. 



D 



