254 
POL^l'ETALOUS ORDEMS. 
combined at tlie base. Petals indefinite, colored, sometimes 
wanting. Stamens indefinite, distinct. Ovary many-celled ; 
stigmas numerous. Fruit a many-celled, many-seeded capsule ; 
ernbryo curved or spiral on the outside of mealy albumen. 
Genera. — Mesembryantheraum, Sesuvium. 
421. Malvaceae, the Mallow Tribe. — Herbs., shrubs., or trees. 
Leaves alternate, stipuled. Flowers regular, generally showy. 
Sepals 5, more or less cohering at the base, with a valvate 
aestivation, often bearing an external calyx or involucel. Petals 
as many as the sepals, convolute in aestivation. Stamens indefi- 
nite, monadelphous, inserted with the petals. Ovary formed 
by the union of several carpels round a common axis, distinct 
or cohering ; styles as many as the carpels. Fruit capsular or 
baccate. Seeds with little albumen or none; embryo large, 
with foliaceous cotyledons, variously incurved or folded. 
a. Properties : plants of this order commonly 
abound in mucilage ; they are destitute of all un- 
wholesome qualities. The inner bark of some species 
is employed for cordage ; cotton is the hairy cover- 
ing of the seeds of Gossypium. 
Genera. — Malope, Malva, Lavatera, Althea, Hibis- 
cus, Malvaviscus, Gossypium, Abutilon, Hopea, Nut- 
tallia. 
Fig. 1*79, a, flower of a malvaceous plant; 6, verti- 
cal section of the staminal column and of the ovary ; 
c, a side view of a detached carpeL 
422. TiLiACE^, the Linden Tribe. — 
Trees or shrubby plants. Leaves alter- 
nate, furnished with deciduous stipules. 
Flowers small. Sepals 4-5, wdth a valvate 
aestivation, deciduous. Petals 4-5, some 
times imbricate in aestivation. Stamens indefinite, often in 
3-5 clusters distinct or somewhat united. Dish glandular.- 
Ovary solitary, formed by the union of 2-10 carpels. Fruit 
dry or pulpy, 2-5-celled, or by obliteration 1-celled when ripe. 
Seeds 1 or numerous ; embryo erect, in the axis of fleshy albu- 
men ; cotyledons flat, leafy. 
a. Properties: these plants contain mucilage, and many of them fbrnish excellent 
materials for cordage. 
Genera. — Tilia, Corchorus. 
423. Ternstkomiace^, the Tea Trihe. — Trees or shrubs., with 
a watery juice. Leaves alternate, simple, without stipules. 
Flowers large and showy. Sepals 3-Y, coriaceous, concave ; 
eestivation imbricated. Petals 5 or more, imbricated. Stamens 
indefinite, united in one or several parcels at the base • anthers 
versatile or adnate. Ovary with several cells. Fruit a capsiJe 
opening by valves, or coriaceous and indehi scent. Seed?, few 
