Jlalvacece.] 
THE COLONY OE VICTORIA. 
165 
separable from each other; their valves 4-6 lines long-, rhomboid-ovate, with a manifest excision and a 
descending- subulate tooth at the inner angle, terminated by a linear-subulate beak of rather more than 1 line 
length, at last dark squalid-brown, diaphanous and smooth on their commissural area, inside quite hairless 
an very shining; outside short-hairy along- their vertex and back. Seeds 1J-1J line long, usually 2 or 3 
sometimes 4 ripening in each cell, pyriform-renate, somewhat compressed. 
This plant is in our country consociated with several South European plants, which extend to India and 
Austmha; for instance, Cressa Cretica, Frankenia lams, Tribulus terrestris, Euphorbia Ckammsyce, Meniocus 
serpillifohus, Ghnus lotoides, and seemingly also JYitraria Schreberi. Besides Sida Abutilon there exist in 
Australia (although not in this colony) several other species identical with Indian congeners, including Sida 
Indiciq S^crispa, S. retusa The latter yields an excellent fibre, according to experiments instituted by 
Mr. W. Hill, Director of the Brisbane Botanic Garden. The genus Hibiscus includes also several Indo- 
Austrahan species, viz., H. panduriformis, H. radiatus, H. heteropliyllus, H. vitifolius, H. Trionum H. (Pari- 
tium) tiliaceus and H. (Thespesia) populneus. 
nr , , Sid ^ 0t0CarPa ’ R M ‘ SeCOnd &Jst Index °f the Plants of Viet. p. 10; Abutilon otocarpum, 
F. M. in Transact. Phil. Soc. Viet. i. 13. 
Fruticose, erect, velvet-hairy; leaves orbicular- or ovate-cordate, unequally crenate, on long petioles- 
stipules linear-subulate, deciduous; pedicels axillary, solitary, articulated above the middle; calyx inflated, 
^-angular, with senncymbiform long-acuminated lobes; petals rather large, yellow, oblique-obcordate, not 
much longer than thecalyx, ciliated towards the base; styles below the middle concrete, glabrous; stigmas 
capitellate; ovaries 10-H, with usually three ovules; fruit column almost as thick as long-; carpels shorter 
than the calyx, very compressed, slightly coherent, ear-shaped, beahless, outside everywhere downy, to the 
middle dehiscent ^ seeds black, roug’b, g’labrous. 
On barren places at the Murray River, near its junction with the Darling, thence through many of the 
desert-tracts of Australia north-eastward as far as the Gilbert River near the Gulf of Carpentaria, and north- 
westward to Sturt’s Creek. 
A shrub from i-2 feet high. Stems and branches terete. Stipules 1J-5 lines long. Developed leaves 
usually from 1-2$ inches long and broad, oftener blunt than acute, on both pages velvet-downy, with seven 
radiating primary nerves conjoint by chiefly unilateral nervelets and net-veins. Pedicels 1-1J inch long 
ensely pubescent; tlieir upper joint often bent down in age. Calyx inch long, with five prominent wing- 
1 e angles and when flower-bearmg remarkably tumid, thus reminding of that of Physalis; its lobes at first 
convergent, inward slightly downy. Petals usually not longer than J inch, ciliated towards the base. 
Staminal column glabrous, 21 lines long, very turgid at the base, cylindrical at the summit, terminated with 
many very short filaments. Styles about 3 lines long, glabrous. Stigmas depressed-globose. Columella 
thick-cylindrical, furrowed, 1J line long, terminated by a short cuspis. Carpels 2J-4 lines long, oblique- 
ovate, very compressed, blunt or short-acuminate, thinly covered with star-hair on the pale outer side, soft- 
downy at the greenish back, completely seceding from each other, excised at the inner angle towards the base 
containing sometimes only two ovules and seeds; their valves in age fully separating except at the lower 
dorsal edge, inside polished and hairless. Seeds angular, renate-pyriform, about f line long, grey- or dark- 
brown, wrinkled, glabrous. 
Sida otocarpa shows considerable resemblance to S. halophila (F. M. in Linmea, 1852, p. 380), a plant 
growing on the Lachlan, on the Barrier Rang-e, around Lake Torrens, Spencer’s Gulf and towards Sharks Bay; 
its leaves are more densely net-veined, and the carpels are more cartilaginous, larger, and surpass considerably 
the len o th of tlie hal '% tumescent calyx, whilst the seeds are downy. S. diplotricha (F. M. in Linneea, 1852, 
p. 380), an interior desert-plant, is also nearly related to our plant, differs however in its indument, not 
laxly inflated calyx, the bigemmulate ovaries, the more rhomboid form of the carpels, which have more rigid 
not almost completely dehiscent valves, and include usually 2 sometimes 1 downy seeds. 
