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Sidalcea, Gray.

Involucellum nullum. Tubus stamineus duplex! nempe in phalanges 5 exteriores petalis oppositas, atque circiter 10 angustiores interiores, vel filamenta subindefinita per paria coalita, solutus. Styli intus longitudinaliter stigmatosi. Fructus 5–9-coccus, carpellis reniformibus monospermis ab axi secenditibus. Semen reniforme. Radicula centripeto-infera. — Herbæ (Am. Bor.-Occ.), floribus purpureis, paniculato-racemosis, roseis, seu albis.

SIDALCEA, Gray, Pl. Fendl. in Mem. Amer. Acad. n. ser. 4. p. 18.
SIDÆ Sp., Lindl., Nutt., Torr. & Gray, Fl. N. Am. 1. p. 234, no. 10, 14–17.

CALYX naked (destitute of an involucel), persistent; the five sepals united at the base, valvate in æstivation. PETALS 5, obovate or obcordate, convolute in æstivation, hypogynous; their claws adnate to the base of the stamineal column. STAMENS monadelphous in a column, which gives off about the middle or near the apex a series of five broad and membranaceous phalanges, situated opposite the petals (convolute in æstivation), each bearing from four to eight anthers on very short filaments, and at the summit divides into an inner set of about ten narrow and usually diantheriferous phalanges, or into about twenty filaments, most of which are united below in pairs: ANTHERS one-celled, as in the order. OVARIES 5 to 9, united in a circle around a central receptacle: STYLES as many as the ovaries, united below, filiform, stigmatose the whole length of the inner face. OVULE solitary in each carpel, peritropous-ascending; the micropyle inferior.

FRUIT of five to nine membranaceous reniform carpels, which are muticous, or apiculate with a short soft beak, one-seeded, separating from the central receptacle when ripe, opening by laceration at the inner edge, or tardily somewhat two-valved. SEED reniform. EMBRYO arcuate-incurved, partly surrounding the soft albumen: COTYLEDONS foliaceous, cordate, conduplicate-infolded: RADICLE inferior.

HERBS mostly hairy or hirsute, with rounded and commonly palmately-cleft or parted leaves, free stipules, and usually virgate stems, terminated by a raceme or racemose panicle of purple, rose-colored, or white flowers.

ETYMOLOGY. Name compounded of Sida and Alcea, the ancient names of two allied Malvaceous genera.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION &c. A genus of eight [1] described species (vide Plantæ Fendlerianæ, l.c.) indigenous to Southern Oregon, California and New Mexico [2]; therefore not falling within the geographical range of this work, but introduced here for the purpose of illustrating its remarkable stamineal column, but which the genus is striking distinguished from all other true Malvaceæ. From the want of an involucel the species formerly know have been referred to Sida, along with other heterogenous forms.

[1] 20-25 species are currently recognised.
[2] The range is wider, extending to British Columbia (Sidalcea hendersonii), Mexico and Wyoming (Sidalcea candida)

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