On the Wallawallah, Oregon, Nuttall!—Stem scarcely a span long,
branching. Leaves rather shorter than the petioles, about an inch in diameter.
Flowers 3-4 lines in diameter. Bracteoles usually 2, setaceous, deciduous.
Petals roundish-obovate, pubescent externally on one side of the
midnerve, glabrous where it is-overlapped by the adjoining petal. Fruit not
seen.—It appears to agree in almost every respect with the preceding (which
we have not seen), except that the flowers are nearly sessile. We cannot determine
the color of the flower from our specimen.
M. xanthina ofRafinesque is a varietyofM. Alcea, and is probably an introduced
plant. ,
M triloba of Muhlenberg, (cat. p. 65; Nutt. gen. 2. p. 81.)—Of this species we
can find no description.
M. dbutiloid.es, Linn, is said by Pursh to occur on the sea-coast of Carolina; but
this is very doubtful.
3. SPHiERALCEA. A. St. Hil. fl. Bras. 1. p. 207.
Malva § Spheeroma, DC.
Calyx 5-cleft, with 3 setaceous bracteoles at the base. Carpels numerous,
aggregated in a subglobose head, 2-valved, 2- or several-seeded. Radicle in
the upper seed superior, in the lower one inferior.—Herbaceous plants.
Leaves entire or lobed. Peduncles short, many-flowered.
1. <S. stellata: densely clothed with a grayish stellate pubescence; leaves
,oblong-lanceolate, acute, petioled, erosely serrate, rugose; peduncles axillary,
3-5-flowered; flowers aggregated; carpels 12-14, bimucronate, 2- (rarely 3-)
seeded.—-Sida stellata, Torr. ! in ann. lyc. New-York, 2. p. 171.
Margins of small brooks, near the sources of the Arkansas, Dr. James!
-^Stem 1-2 feet high, branched. Leaves 2-3 inches long, 4-5 lines wide":
petioles about 4 lines long. Flowers very numerous; the common peduncle
2-3 lines long: pedicels extremely short. Bracteoles very slender. Calyx
cleft below the middle; segments ovate-lanceolate, acute. Corolla purple
(in dried specimens), about half an inch in diameter. Carpels with 2 short
slightly recurved points. Seed reniform, glabrous.
2. -S. acerifolia (Nutt.): minutely roughish-tomentose with a stellate pubescence
; leaves 5-lobed, somewhat cordate ; the lobes acute, toothed, unequally
serrate ; peduncles aggregated, terminal; Carpels 12-14, pointless.—
Malva (Sphseroma) acerifolia, Nutt. ! mss.
Rivulets east of Wallawallah, Nuttall ƒ—Stem much branched. Leaves
2- 2 i inches long, and about the same in width : petioles about i the length
o f the lamina. Flowers 3-4 together at the summit of the branches. Brac-
teoles linear-lanceolate. Calyx cleft to the middle ; segments broadly ovate,
acute. Corolla an inch in diameter; purple (in dried specimens). Carpels
pilose, dehiscing on the back from the summit to the base.—The seeds had
mostly fallen out in our specimen, but there appeared to have been 2 or 3 in
each carpel, scabrous with short hairs.
4. MODIOLA, Matnch, meth. 620; A. St. Hil. fl. Bras. 1. p. 211.
Calyx 5-cleft, with 3 bracteoles at the base. Carpels numerous, arranged
circularly, 2-valved, spuriously 2-celled transversely by the inflexion of a
valve-like process, 2-seeded. Radicle in the upper seed superior, in the lower
seed inferior.—Prostrate and usually creeping herbs. Leaves divided.
Peduncles axillary, 1-flowered.
1. M. multifida (Moench): leaves palmately 3-5-lobed; segments incised
and toothed; pedicels longer than the petioles; stamens 15-18; carpels 15-
20, hispid, with 2 subulate horns.—Mcench, l. c. Malva Caroliniana, L in n .;
Willd. sp. 3. p. 784; Walt. Car. p. 176; Michx.! fl. 2. p. 44; Ell. sk. 2.
p. 163; DC. prodr. 1. p. 435.
In rich soils, along rivers, and in waste places ; Virginia! to Florida! west
to Red River, Louisiana! July-Sept.— (£)'? Ell. Stem diffuse, more or
less hirsute, usually rooting at the lower joints. Leaves 1-2 inches in diameter,
truncate or subcordate at the base, hirsute beneath, with a few scattered
hairs above. Flowers 5-6 lines in diameter. Bracteoles linear-lanceolate.
Segments of the calyx ovate-lanceolate. Petals obovate, purplish-red, a little
longer than the calyx. Carpels lunate, much compressed, hispid on the
back, wrinkled on the sides toward the base. A rigid process rising from
the back on the inside of the carpel extends to the axis, separating the upper
from the, lower seed.—Very near M. repens, St. Hil. fl. Bras. 1. p. 212. t.
43, & Malva (Modiola) prostrata, Cav.; both of which are perhaps but varieties
of this species.
5. ALTHAEA. Cav. diss. 2. p. 91; DC. prodr. 1. p. 437.
Althaea & Alcea, Linn.
Calyx surrounded by a 6-9-cleft involucel. Carpels numerous, indehis-
eent, 1-seeded, arranged in a circle round the axis.
1. A. officinalis (Linn.) : leaves softly tomentose on both sides, cordate
or ovate, toothed, entire or 3-lobed; peduncles many-flowered, much shorter
than the leaves.—Eng. hot. t. 147 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 259; DC. prodr. 1.
p. 436.
Borders of salt marshes, Long Island and elsewhere: introduced. A u g -
Sept.— If Root long, white. Stem about 2 feet high. Leaves usually somewhat
3-lobed. Peduncles 3-4-flowered. Flowers an inch or more in diameter,
pale rose-color.— Common Marsh-mallow.
6. MALVAVISCUS. Dill.; DC. prodr. 1. p. 445.
Achania, Swartz.
Calyx surrounded by an involucel of Numerous bracteoles. Petals erect,
convolute. Styles 10, united below : stigmas capitellate, the alternate ones
longer. Carpels 5, baccate, 1-seeded, somewhat distinct, or united into a 5-
celled fruit.—Frutescent (rarely herbaceous?) plants. Flowers red.
1. M. Floridanus (Nutt) : hirsute ; leaves cordate-ovate, crenately serrate,
rather acute, on petioles one-fourth their length; peduncles axillary in the
uppermost leaves, 1-flowered, nodding; involucel 8-9-leaved, somewhat patulous,
rather shorter than the calyx.—Nu tt.! in jour. acad. Philad. 7. p.
89. M. penduliflorus, DC. prodr. 1. p. 445?
Key West, E. Florida, Mr. Ware; Mr. Bennett!—A small shrub.
Leaves 1—14 inch long, hispid with somewhat stellate hairs. Peduncles longer
than the petioles. Leaflets of the involucel narrowly linear. Calyx deeply
5-cleft; segments ovate-lanceolate. Corolla about an inch long, scarlet.
Stamineal column exserted.—Near M. arboreus.