HI B 
I*ntS, where the flowers laft near a week in beauty, the 
changes are not fo hidden. It is a native of the Eaft 
Indies and Japan. The French firft carried the feeds to 
their feltlements in tire Weft Indies; and the inhabi¬ 
tants of the Britilh colonies there, being fupplied with 
the feeds from them, have given it the name of Martinico 
rofe. It varies with double flowers, from which the 
Angle is frequently produced ; but the feeds of the (in¬ 
gle feldom vary to the double. It is much cultivated 
in the gardens of China and Cochin-china. The time 
of its blowing in our ftoves is November and December. 
It was'introduced here in 1690, by Mr. Bentick. 
20. Hibifcus fpinifex, or prickly-fruited hibifeus : 
leaves cordate, crenate, undivided ; capfules fet with 
fpines (landing out. Native of the Weft Indies! In¬ 
troduced in 1778, by William Wright, M. D, It flowers 
here in July. 
21. Hibifcus folandra, or maple-leaved hibifcus: 
leaves fubcordate, three-cufped, ferrate ; calyxes unca- 
Jycled. Has the air of Napaea. The root is annual. 
The (talk upright, branched on every fide, round, hol¬ 
low, villofe, herbaceous, a foot and a half in height. 
Murray has conftituted a new genus of this, under the 
name of Solandra ; but it agrees in the pericarpium and 
other refpedls with Hibifcus, except-in the want of an 
outer calyx, which is not fufficient alone to warrant us 
in feparating this from the other fpecies. It is a native 
of Bourbon; where it was found by Commerfon. It 
was cultivated in the Paris garden before 1775; and 
was introduced here in 1786, by Mr. Zier. It flowers 
in July and Auguft. 
22. Hibifcus Syriacus, or Syrian flirubby hibifcus, or 
althaea frutex. This rifes with a (hrubby ftalk to the 
height of fix or (even feet, fendiiig out many woody 
branches, covered with a fmooth grey bark ; the leaves 
have the upper part frequently divided into three lobes, 
are placed alternately on the branches, and (land on 
Ihort footftalks. The flowers come out from the wings 
of the ftalk at every joint of the fame year’s (hoot; 
they are large, and (haped like thofe of the mallow, 
having five large roundiffi petals, which join at their 
bafe, fpreading at the top into the fliape of an open 
bell; thefe appear in Auguft, and, if the feafon is not 
too warm, there will be a fucceflion of flowers part of 
September; the early flowers are fucceeded by Ihort 
capfules ; but unlefs the feafon proves warm, they will 
not ripen in this country. It is commonly called Al¬ 
thaea frutex by the nurfery gardeners, who propagate 
the ftmibs for fale; there are four or five varieties, 
which differ in the colour of their flowers; the molt 
common has pale purple flowers with dark bottoms; 
another has bright purple flowers with black bottoms; 
a third, white flowers with purple bottoms ; a fourth, 
variegated flowers with dark bottoms; and a fifth pale 
yellow flowers with dark bottoms ; but the laft is very 
rare at prefent in the Englifli gardens; there are alfo 
two with variegated leaves, which are by fome much 
efteemed. To thefe we may add another, introduced 
fince the time of Miller, with double flowers. It is a 
native of Syria, and is cultivated in Japan very much 
for hedges, and in Cochin-china, &c. The Althaea fru¬ 
tex was cultivated in England in 1629, as we learn from 
Parkinfon, and was probably then a new Ihrub ; for he 
fets it down as tender, and to be kept in a large pot or 
tub, in the lioufe or in a warm cellar. 
23. Hibifcus ficulneus, or fig-leaved hibifcus : leaves 
palmate-five-cleft; (tern prickly, flowers peduncled. 
This is a native of Ceylon. 11 rifes with an herbaceous, 
upright, prickly ftalk, from two to three feet high, di¬ 
viding into fmall branches at the top. The flowers come 
Out lingly from the axils; they hang down, are fmall, 
and white with purple bottoms, and are fucceeded by 
Ihort obtufe capfules. The leaves refemble thofe of the 
Jig-tree, but are fntaller; they are rough, fomewhat paler 
Vol. IX. No. 631. 
[SCUS. 83fr 
underneath, and have a few hairs; the lower ones are 
broader, and commonly divided into five fegments ; the 
upper ones narrower, and ufually three-lobed. The 
flowers open only when the fun fliines, and that but for 
a few hours in the morning ; for about noon they nod or 
hang down, and the petals fpread irregularly, as in fome 
geraniums. The calyxes, feed-veflels, &c. ha've a fine 
down on them. It flowers from June to Auguft. The 
feeds were fent-from J. Ph. Breynius of Dantzic, to Mr. 
Miller and Dr. Sherard, and was cultivated by them in 
the botanic gardens at Chelfea and Eltham. 
24. Hibifcus fpeciofus, or fmooth hibifcus: leaves, 
palmate, fmooth ; fegments lanceolate, ferrate; fte/in, 
peduncles, and calyxes, even. Perennial. Very nearly- 
allied to H. lxvis. It is a native of South Carolina, 
and was cultivated in 177S by Dr. Fothergill; it flowers 
in September. 
25. Hibifcus fabdariffa, or various-leaved hibifcus : 
leaves ferrate, the lower ovate, undivided ; the upper 
feven-parted, ftem unarmed, flowers feflile. Root annual, 
Angle, defeending. Stalk herbaceous, from one to three 
feet high, upright, fubdivided, round, fmooth, of a blood- 
red colour. In the Weft Indiesit is called redforrel. 
The calyxes and capfules, freed from the feeds, make 
very agreeable tarts; and a decodlion of them fweetened 
and fermented is commonly called there forrcl cool drink : 
it is a fmall diluting liquor, much ufed in our fugar-colo- 
nies, and reckoned very refreffiing in thofe fultry cli¬ 
mates. This fpecies is a native of India, and is culti¬ 
vated in gardens both in the Eaft and Weft Indies. 
Among us it has been long known ; being amon<r the 
plants of Gerarde’s gardenia 1596. It flowers Trout 
June to September. Gerarde laments, that having with 
great induftry nourilhed up fome plants from the feed, 
and kept them unto the midft of May, one cold night 
deftroyed them all. He and Parkinfon call it thorny mal- 
lotb. Ray mentions it as one pf the plants which he 
bad feen in the garden of Compton bifliop of London at 
Fulham. 
26. Hibifcus cannabinus, or hemp-leaved hibifcus: 
leaves ferrate, the upper palmate five-parted, hav¬ 
ing one gland underneath ; ftem prickly, flowers fef- 
file. Root annual. Stalk five feet high or more, with 
a few upright prickles fcattqr»d about it.’ Branches 
few, Ample. It agrees with H. Ribdarift'a in ftruChire, ap¬ 
pearance, ferratures,and the gland under the leaves; but, 
according to Miller, this is a taller plant, and the flowers 
are larger. It was cultivated by Mr. Miller in 1759, 
and is a native of the Eaft Indies. The bark of this and 
the foregoing fpecies is full of ftrong fibres, which the 
inhabitants of the Malabar coaft prepare and make into 
cordage; and it feems as if it might be wrought into 
fine ftrong thread of any fize. 
27. Hibifcus Surattenfis, or prickly-ftalked hibifcus:' 
prickly with prickles curved back ; leaves five-lobed, 
outer calyxes appendicled ; ftipules half cordate, flow, 
ers peduncled. This, according to Lotireiro, is a Ihrub! 
fix feet in height, climbing, and branched. Native o( 
the Eaft Indies and Cochin-china. It is an annual, andf 
flowers with us in July. The leaves are gratefully acid,, 
and are eaten. In cataplafms they aflift in diff'olving' 
hard tumours, 8 c c. for which purpofe the root is efteem¬ 
ed to be more efficacious. 
28. Hibifcus pedunculatus, or peduncled hibifcus: 
hirfute; leaves five-lobed, toothed; pedunclesaxillary, 
one-flowered, elongated. Found at the Cape by Thun- 
herg. 
29. Hibifcus manihot, or palmated-leaved hibifcus: 
leaves palmate-digitate, feven-parted ; ftem and petioles 
unarmed. This fort rifes with an herbaceous fmooth 
ftalk three or four feet high, with leaves which are di¬ 
vided into leven fegments almoft to the bottom; the 
middle fegment being four inches long apd half an inch 
broad, the upper lateral fegments about three inches 
10 E . long 
