A Flowering branch. B Flower cut lengthwise. C Anther. D Fruit. E Mericarp cut lengthwise.

1. Carpels in several rows placed one above the other, one-seeded, indehiscent, falling singly. Staminal tube beset with anthers to the top. Flowers with an epicalyx of 3 bracteoles. Herbs.—Species 3. North Africa.
Used as ornamental and medicinal plants. [Tribe MALOPEAE.] Malope L.
Carpels placed side by side in one plane. 2
2. Style-branches 10, twice as many as the ovary-cells. Ovules solitary in each cell. Staminal tube truncate or minutely toothed at the top.
Fruit splitting into mericarps. [Tribe URENEAE.] 3
Style-branches as many as the ovary-cells, or a simple style. 5
3. Flowers without an epicalyx, but inflorescence with an involucre. Carpels opposite to the petals. Hispid herbs.—Species 2. Tropics. Yielding fibre. Malachra L.
Flowers with an epicalyx of 5 or more bracteoles. 4
4. Mericarps covered with hooked bristles, indehiscent. Carpels alternating with the petals. Epicalyx of 5 bracteoles. Leaves glandular beneath.—Species
2. Tropical and South Africa; one species only cultivated.
Used as medicinal and textile plants. Urena L.
Mericarps winged, tubercled, or with 1-3 awns, rarely smooth. Leaves without glands on the under surface.—Species 25. Tropical and
South Africa. Some of them are used as ornamental, medicinal, or textile plants. (Malache Vogel). (Plate 92.) Pavonia L.
5. Fruit splitting into mericarps. Carpels 5 or more. Style cleft. Staminal tube loaded with anthers to the top. [Tribe MALVEAE.] 6
Fruit capsular, loculicidal. Staminal tube beset with anthers on the outer face, truncate or minutely toothed at the top. [Tribe HIBISCEAE.] 14
6. Carpels with 1 ovule. 7
Carpels with 2 or more ovules, sometimes transversely septate. [Subtribe
ABUTILINAE.] 11
7. Ovule pendulous. Stigmas terminal. Epicalyx absent.—Species 20.
Some of them yield fibre, fodder, tea, and medicaments. [Subtribe
SIDINAE.] Sida L.
Ovule ascending. Epicalyx usually present. [Subtribe MALVINAE.] 8
8. Style-branches bearing the stigma at the thickened, capitate apex. Shrubs or undershrubs.—Species 20. Tropical and South Africa. Some of them are used as ornamental or medicinal plants. Malvastrum A. Gray
Style-branches pointed, bearing the stigma on the inner face. 9
9. Epicalyx consisting of 3 free bracteoles or wanting. Central column of the fruit overtopping the mericarps.—Species 15. Some of them are used as ornamental or medicinal plants. “Mallow.” Malva L.
Epicalyx consisting of 3-9 bracteoles united below. 10
10. Central column of the fruit overtopping the mericarps. Epicalyx 3-6-cleft.—Species
12. North Africa; one species also introduced into
South Africa. Some are used as ornamental or medicinal plants.
(Including Navaea Webb & Berth. and Saviniona Webb & Berth.) Lavatera L.
Central column of the fruit not overtopping the mericarps. Epicalyx
6-9-cleft. Herbs.—Species 7. North and South Africa, Mascarene
Islands, and St. Helena. Several species yield fibres, dyes, mucilage, and medicaments, or serve as ornamental plants. (Including Alcea L.) Althaea L.
11. Carpels completely or nearly completely divided into two compartments by a transverse partition. Style-branches capitate at the top. Ovules
2-3 in each carpel. 12
Carpels without a partition. Style-branches filiform throughout or club-shaped. 13
12. Flowers with an epicalyx of 3 bracteoles. Petals red. Carpels numerous.
Mericarps with 2 prickles at the back. Prostrate herbs. Leaves lobed.—Species
1. South Africa; naturalized in the Island of Madeira. Modiola Moench
Flowers without an epicalyx. Petals yellow. Carpels 5. Mericarps beaked. Shrubs or undershrubs. Leaves undivided.—Species 3.
Tropics. They yield fibres. Wissadula Med.
13. Flowers with an epicalyx of 3 bracteoles. Carpels numerous; ovules 2-3 in each.—Species 5. South Africa. Used as ornamental plants.
(Including Sphaeroma Harv.) Sphaeralcea St. Hil.
Flowers without an epicalyx. Ovules 3-9 in each carpel.—Species 30.
Some of them yield fibres, medicaments, and a substitute for coffee, or serve as ornamental plants. Abutilon Gaertn.
14. (5.) Style split into long or rather long branches. Ovary 5-celled. Seeds kidney-shaped. 15
Style split into very short, erect branches, or simple. 17
15. Ovules solitary in each carpel. Stigma capitate. Epicalyx of 7-10 bracteoles.—Species 9. Tropical and South Africa. Kosteletzkya Presl
Ovules 2 or more in each carpel. 16
16. Ovules 2 in each carpel. Epicalyx consisting of 3 large, cordate bracteoles.
Shrubs.—Species 1. East Africa. Senra Cav.
Ovules 3 or more in each carpel. Epicalyx consisting of 3 or more narrower bracteoles or wanting.—Species 130. Some of them yield timber, fibres, dyes, perfumes, oil, vegetables, condiments, and medicaments, or serve as ornamental plants. (Including Abelmoschus Medik., Lagunaea
Cav., and Paritium St. Hil.) Hibiscus L.
17. Epicalyx of partly united bracteoles. Calyx deeply divided. Ovary 5-celled.
Leaves small, undivided. 18
Epicalyx of free bracteoles. Calyx not deeply divided. 19
18. Epicalyx 5-parted, large. Calyx 5-parted. Trees. Leaves ovate.—Species
1. Madagascar. Macrocalyx Cost. & Poisson
Epicalyx 11-toothed. Calyx 2-parted. Corolla yellow. Shrubs. Leaves reniform or orbicular.—Species 1. East Africa. Symphyochlamys Guerke
19. Epicalyx of 3 large, cordate bracteoles. Ovary 5-celled. Seeds woolly.
Species 5, three of them growing wild in Central and South Africa, the others (cotton-plants) cultivated in various regions. They yield cotton, oil, dyes, vegetables, and medicaments. Gossypium L.
Epicalyx of small or narrow bracteoles. 20
20. Calyx sprinkled with black dots. Ovary 3-4-celled. Fruit readily dehiscing. Cotyledons not dotted. Shrubs or undershrubs.—Species
7. Central and South Africa. (Fugosia Juss.) Cienfuegosia Cav.
Calyx not dotted. Ovary 5-celled. Fruit not or hardly dehiscing. Seeds woolly. Cotyledons usually marked with black dots. Trees or shrubs.
Leaves undivided.—Species 5. Tropics to Delagoa Bay. They yield timber, fibres, dyes, and medicaments. Thespesia Corr.

[FAMILY 143.] BOMBACACEAE

Trees. Leaves digitate, stipulate. Flowers solitary or fascicled, hermaphrodite, without an epicalyx. Calyx with valvate, closed, or open aestivation. Petals 5, adhering at the base to the staminal tube, with contorted aestivation. Stamens 5 or more, united below. Anthers 1-celled. Pollen-grains smooth or almost so. Ovary superior or nearly so, 5-10-celled, the cells opposite to the petals. Ovules numerous in each cell, ascending or horizontal, inverted. Style simple. Fruit a capsule or a nut. Seeds with a scanty albumen and a curved embryo with folded or coiled cotyledons.—Genera 3, species 13. Tropics. (Under MALVACEAE or STERCULIACEAE.) (Plate 93.)

1. Stamens 5. Anthers twisted. Calyx lobed. Stigma capitate. Fruit leathery, woolly within, dehiscent.—Species 1 (C. pentandra Gaertn., silk-cotton-tree). Central Africa; naturalized in Madagascar and the
Mascarenes. Yields timber, bast, tanning materials, wool for stuffing, oil, condiments, vegetables, and medicaments. (Eriodendron DC.) Ceiba Gaertn.
Stamens numerous. 2
2. Calyx truncate or irregularly 3-5-cleft, with open or closed aestivation.
Stigma 5-partite or capitate. Fruit hairy within, dehiscent.—Species 6.
Central Africa. They yield timber, wool for stuffing, and medicaments
(Including Pachira Aubl.) (Plate 93.) Bombax L.
Calyx 5-cleft, with valvate aestivation. Stigma 5-10-partite. Fruit woody, filled with pulp, indehiscent. Flowers solitary, pendulous.—Species
6. Tropics. They yield wood, fibres, tanning materials, vegetables, oil, condiments, and medicaments. The pulp of the fruits and the seeds are edible; from the former a drink is prepared. “Baobab.” Adansonia L.

[FAMILY 144.] STERCULIACEAE

Leaves alternate, stipulate, rarely (Hua) exstipulate. Sepals more or less united, valvate in bud, rarely (Cotylonychia) at first imbricate. Petals 5, with contorted, rarely (Hua) valvate aestivation, sometimes adnate to the staminal tube, or rudimentary, or wanting. Stamens as many as the sepals or more. Filaments usually more or less united. Anthers 2-celled, rarely (Triplochiton) 1-celled. Ovary superior, 3-or more-celled, or several free ovaries, rarely ovary 1-2-celled. Ovules inverted, usually 2 or more to each carpel.—Genera 28, species 470. (Including BUETTNERIACEAE and TRIPLOCHITONACEAE.) (Plate 94.)

1. Flowers unisexual or polygamous, without a corolla. Filaments united.
Male flowers without staminodes. Styles free at the base or throughout.
Trees. [Tribe STERCULIEAE.] 2
Flowers hermaphrodite, rarely polygamous, but then, as nearly always, provided with a corolla. 7
2. Carpels numerous, in several rows. Calyx-lobes 6-8, yellow or brown.
Anthers numerous, arranged in a ring.—Species 2. West Africa. Octolobus Welw.
Carpels 3-12, in a single row. Calyx-lobes 4-5. 3
3. Anthers arranged irregularly, crowded in a head, numerous. Seeds albuminous. 4
Anthers arranged in a ring. 5
4. Calyx tubular, red. Ovules 2 in each carpel. Fruit with a membranous rind, one-seeded, dehiscing before the time of maturity. Leaves undivided.—Species
1. West Africa. Yields fibre. (Under Sterculia L.) Firmiana Marsigli
Calyx campanulate. Ovules more than 2 in each carpel. Fruit with
a woody or leathery rind, dehiscing at maturity.—Species 25. Tropical and South Africa. Some species yield timber, fibre, gum (African tragacanth), vegetables, edible fruits, oily seeds, and medicaments.
(Including Eribroma Pierre). Sterculia L.
5. Anthers 4-5, inserted below the apex of the staminal column. Ovules
2 in each carpel. Calyx shortly lobed. Ripe carpels woody, winged, indehiscent. Seeds exalbuminous.—Species 3. Tropics. They yield timber, bark for tanning, and medicaments. Heritiera Ait.
Anthers 8 or more, rarely 5, but then inserted at the apex of the staminal column. Ovules 3 or more in each carpel. Ripe carpels dehiscent. 6
6. Seeds winged, albuminous. Leaves undivided.—Species 4. Central
Africa. (Under Sterculia L.) Pterygota Endl.
Seeds wingless, exalbuminous.—Species 45. Central and South-east
Africa. Some species yield timber, vegetables, and edible seeds (cola-nuts) which are also used medicinally. (Edwardia Rafin.) Cola Schott