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Flores in capitulum pedunculatum pluriflorum, involucro 3-pleiophyllo cinctum, dispositi. Involucellum proprium nullum. Cætera fere Pavoniæ. — Herbae pilis pungentibus hispidæ.
MALACHRA, Linn. Gen. 1266. Jacq. Ic. Rar. t. 548, 549. Cav. Diss. 2. t. 33. f. 2 (excl. reliq.). DC. Prodr. 1. p. 441. excl. spec. 3, 5, 10 & 14. Adr. Juss. in St. Hil. Fl. Bras. 1. p. 216. Endl. Gen. 5291. Ach. Rich. Fl. Cub. 1. p. 117.
CALYX not involucellate, five-cleft; persistent; the segments three-nerved, valvate in æstivation, PETALS obovate, oblique, convolute in æstivation, hypogynous, the claws united with the base of the stamineal column. STAMENS definite (about 20), monadelphous in simple hypogynous column, which is shorter than the corolla, and naked, often five-toothed, at the apex: FILAMENTS short, all emitted singly from just below the apex of the column: ANTHERS reniform, one-celled. OVARIES 5, situated opposite the petals, more or less united in a ring around a central axis: STYLES united into one, which is ten-cleft at the summit: STIGMAS 10, capitate. OVULE solitary in each carpel, peritropous-ascending from the inner angle towards the base of the cell; the micropyle inferior.
FRUIT pentacoccous; the achenia-like one seeded carpels obovate-wedge-shaped, very obtuse and pointless, falling away separately from a slender axis, dehiscent at the base or along the ventral suture from below upwards. SEED conformed to the cell, obovate-triangular, erect, slightly excised at the hilum; the testa crustaceous. EMBYRO large, somewhat incurved in the scanty albumen: COTYLEDONS broad and foliaceous, cordate, plaited in the middle and chrysaloid-infolded: RADICLE inferior.
HERBS, or rarely somewhat shrubby plants, growing in wet places, hispid with sharp bristly hairs, and the stems usually marked with tomentose-pubescent lines. Leaves long-petioled, rounded, usually palmately lobed. Stipules free. Peduncles axillary, terminated by a head of five or more sessile flowers, which are inclosed by an involcre of three or more cordate floral leaves. The head frequently exhibits several setaceous bracts, some of which consist of the stipules of the involucral leaves; but there is no involucel at the base of the calyx. Corolla yellow, or white with a tinge of red.
ETYMOLOGY. From μαλαχη, an ancient name of some Malvaceous plant, probably the Hollyhock, so called on account of its emollient properties.
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. A genus of a few chiefly tropical plants, both of the Old and the New World. The sole representative in the United States has recently been detected in Texas by Mr. Charles Wright.
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