MALLOW FAMLLT. 



are remarkably mncilaginous. and mncli esteemed, by many persons, as 

 a table yegetalDle. and as an ingredient in soups. 



6. HIBIS'CrS, L. EosE-MALLCtv. 



[An ancient classical name, for one of the Mallow Family.] 



Calyx 5-cleft. persistent. Involucel of many linear bractlets. Column of 

 stamens long, bearing anthers for much of its length. Styles united ; 

 stigmas 5, capitate. Pod 5- celled, opening into 5 valves Ts-hich bear the 

 partition on their middle. Herbs or shrubs with showy flowers. 



1. H. trio' num. L. "Upper leaves deeply 3-parted, lower ones toothed ; 

 calyx inflated, membranaceous, with bristly-ribs, 5-winged at the summit. 

 Three-lobed Hibiscus. Bladder Ketmia. Flower-of-an-hour. 



Annual. .SStm 1 -2 feet high, branched, i^are? 1 -'3 inches long, the lobes lanceolate, 

 the middle one longest : pdiol&l. Floicers greenish yellow with a purple spot at base, 

 axillary, sohtary. fugacious ; peduncles about as long as ihQ petioles. Stigmas 5. 



Gardens and lots. Native of South Europe and Africa. July -September. 



Obs. Formerly cultivated in gardens, and not rare as a weed in cul- 

 tivated grounds. 



2. H. Syri'acus, L. Shrubby or tree-like ; leaves ovate-wedge-shaped, 

 smooth, entire at the base, 3-lobed and toothed at the apex ; pedicels 

 scarcely longer than the petioles ; involucel 6 - 7-lobed. 



Syrian Hibiscus. Eose of Sharon. Shrubby Althsa. 



Obs. Yery common in cultivation, where it is usually kept trimmed ; 

 when allowed to grow uncut it forms a large tree-like shrub, with long 

 straggling branches. The flowers are of various shades, fi'om white to 

 deep purple ; often becoming double. It is rather troublesome in 

 grounds on account of the readiness with which it propagates itself by 

 the seeds. * 



7. GOSSTP'IUM, L. Cotton. 



[A name supposed to be of Egyptian origin ; etymology obscure.] 



Calyx cup^haped, obtusely 5-toothed, surrounded by a 3-leaved involucel ; 

 the leaflets united and cordate at base, deeply incised-dentate. Sti/les 

 united ; stigmas 3 or sometimes 5. Capsule 3- 5-celled. loculicidal. Seeds 

 numerous, enveloped in a long fine wool. Young branches and leaves more 

 or less covered with black dots ; the nerves beneath usually with one or 

 more glands. 



1. G. herba'ceum, L. Stem smooth: leaves 3-5-lobed, with a single 

 gland beneath ; lobes rounded, mucronate ; involucel serrate ; wool whi^e. 

 Herbaceous Gossypium. Cotton. Cotton-plant. 

 Fr. Le Cottonnier. Germ. Die Baumwolle. Span. Algodon. 



Hoot annual. .Sttm 2-4 feet high, branched. Leaves 3-.5 or 6 inches lone : petioles 2-3 

 inch-is long. Pdals greenish yellow, tinged with purple at base. 5eec?s "large, thickly 

 bc-set with long wooldike cellular or tubular fibres, which, at maturitv. are shrunk and 

 contorted so as to render them in some degree adhesive, when pressed together, — and 

 thereby susceptible of being .spun or drawn and twisted into delicate threads. 



Cultivated very largely in the Southern and South-western States. Native of Asia. 



