TJIALAMI FI.OR/E. 
60 
Chinese as emollient and resolvent, and useful in Strangury 
and Dysuria. The flowers, from the mucilaginous juice they 
contain, are employed to give a polish to the leather of shoes ; 
and hence the plant has received the name of the shoe-black (nos a 
calceolaria). They are also made use of to give a red tinge 
to certain spirituous liquors. The plant itself may be grown to 
form an ornamental fence. None of the varieties perfect the 
fruit in this country. It grows readily from cuttings, and the 
different varieties may be grafted without difficulty on one 
another. 
3. Hibiscus bifurcatus. Bifurcated Hibiscus. 
Stem fruticose scabrous toward the end of the 
branches, peduncles and the under surface of the 
nerves of the leaves scabrous with reversed prickles, 
leaves 3-5-lobed acuminate serrated, leaflets of the 
involucellum bifid at the apex. 
Cav. diss. III. 146. t. 51. f. I . — De Cand. Prod. I. 449. 
HAB. Sea-shore, near Spring-garden estate, St George’s. 
FL. February. 
Suffruticose, about 3 feet in height: branches long, subsimple, 
subterete, green, muricated with the asperities directed back- 
wards. Leaves ; the lower ones subtrilobate, the upper with 
the middle lobe elongated so as to approach to hastate, cor- 
date, acuminate, irregularly serrated, stellato-hispid especially 
beneath, ciliated : petiole muricated with reverted prickles. 
Flowers axillary, solitary, peduncled, large, purple: peduncle 
shorter than the petiole, scabrous. Leaflets of the involucel- 
lum 10, linear, double pointed at the apex, hispid. Calyeine 
segments 3-nerved, acute, hispid. Corolla about four times 
longer than the calyx. Stigmata subcapitate, puberulous. Cap- 
sule setoso-hirsute ; cells many-seeded. 
This, very beautiful species, is a native of Brazil and Porto- 
Tlicco, as well as of this Island. 
4. Hibiscus esculentus. Edible Okra. 
Leaves cordate 5-lobed somewhat obtuse dentate, 
petiole longer than the flower, involucellum 10- 
leaved deciduous, calyx bursting longitudinally. 
Sloane , I. t. 133. f. 3. — Browne, 285 — Cav. diss. III. t. 61. 
f. 2. 
HAB. Cultivated. 
FL. Throughout the year. 
The full, but unripe fruit of this species is an excellent vege- 
table. It abounds in mucilage, and is either dressed plain, or 
