Botanical Magazine 106 - 1880.pdf - hibiscus.org

wise very different genera. Nothing can exceed the beauty
of the young foliage of BucJclandia, and this has induced
me to figure it for the BOTANICAL MAGAZINE without fresh
flowers, which will probably not be produced for several
years. The foliage figured is that of young trees, three to
five feet high, at present standing on the shelves of the
Temperate House at Kew, and which are about as many
years old ; they were raised from seeds sent by Dr. King,
of the Calcutta Botanic Garden, and Mr. Gammie, of Dar-
jeeling. The figure represents by no means the largest
leaves on the plants, some of which are nearly a foot in
diameter. The leaves of the young plant have often three
to five cusps irregularly placed beyond the middle. Those
of the full-grown tree are much smaller and are always
entire and green.
DESCE.^ A tall erect evergreen tree. Leaves long-petioled,
four to six inches broad and rather longer, broadly ovate- or
orbicular-cordate, acuminate, coriaceous, glossy green with
red midrib and nerves, the young more or less deep blood-
red throughout beneath, but above shot with green ; petiole
red, cyhndric, two to three inches long ; stipules in pairs,
one to two inches long, obliquely oblong or broader upwards,
coriaceous, nerved, closely applied face to face in the young
state, and enclosing a young branch, or the inflorescence,
which is sharply bent inwards. Floivers in globose uni-
sexual or polygamous heads an inch in diameter, on bracteate
silky simple or branched peduncles ; bracts oblong, caducous.
Calyx-tubes confluent; limb a five-crenate fleshy margin
(perhaps the disk). Petals linear-oblong, very irregular in
number, size, and position. Stamens numerous, filaments
short, slender ; anthers basifixed, oblong. Ovary two-celled.
btt/les two, divergent, subulate. Capsules in a globose head,
each two-celled, with about six seeds in each cell; two
upper seeds fusiform and angular, quite solid, without an
embryo; lower with a long flat ascending wing from one
side; embryo with oblong flattened cotyledons and a short
superior radicle.•J. I). H.
,k V v ,-, i ; 2 ;.P etal ff ; ,. 3and4 ' stam* órnale head; 6, disk and
¿ Uà r t Sectl • ni a**«* ^ith petal; 8, transverse section of ditto; 9,
'•%•' ° n ° f d,tt0; "• embr . vo i 12 > imperfect seed -.-all but figs. 1