Manual of the New Zealand Flora.
Order X. MalvaceÆ
Order X. MalvaceÆ.
Herbs, shrubs, or soft-wooded trees, usually with tough fibrous inner bark, young parts frequently clothed with stellate hairs. Leaves stipulate, alternate, often palmately veined, entire or lobed or rarely compound. Flowers regular, hermaphrodite or rarely unisexual, often furnished at the base with a kind of involucel composed of few or many free or connate bractlets. Sepals 5, valvate, more or less united into a lobed or entire calyx, persistent. Petals 5, hypogynous, contorted in the bud. Stamens many, hypogynous; filaments united into a tube surrounding the pistil usually called the staminal column; anthers reniform, 1-celled. Ovary 2–many-celled, of 2 to many carpels whorled round a common axis; carpels either distinct or united; ovules 1 or more to each carpel, attached to the inner angle. Fruit either of dry indehiscent or dehiscent cocci, or a capsule with loculicidal dehiscence. Seeds reniform or obovoid; albumen scanty or wanting; embryo often curved, cotyledons broad, foliaceous.
A large tropical and subtropical order, less common in temperate regions, and not extending either far north or south. Genera about 60; species between 700 and 800. Most of the species possess mucilaginous properties, and all are quite innocuous. Many are cultivated for ornament, and one genus ( Gossypium) for the woolly covering which surrounds its seeds, and which constitutes the cotton of commerce. Of the 4 following genera, Hoheria is endemic; Plagianthus is found in Australia, and Gaya in South America; while Hibiscus is universal in warm countries.
A. Staminal column bearing anthers at the top. Carpels closely united in a ring around a central axis, from which they fall away when ripe (Malveæ).
Flowers more or less unisexual. Styles with linear decurrent stigmas. Carpels usually solitary in the New Zealand species 1. Plagianthus. Flowers perfect. Stigmas capitate. Carpels several, indehiscent, winged at the back 2. Hoheria. Flowers perfect. Stigmas capitate. Carpels many, 2-valved, not winged 3. Gaya. B. Staminal column bearing anthers at the side, naked and 5-toothed at the top. Carpels united into a capsule, dehiscing loculicidally (Hibisceæ).
Bracteoles 5 to many. Capsule 5-celled, many-seeded 4. Hibiscus.
1. Plagianthus, Forst.
Trees or shrubs, rarely herbs. Leaves entire or lobed or serrate. Flowers usually small, hermaphrodite or unisexual, in axillary or terminal fascicles or panicles, or solitary. Bracteoles wanting, or small and distant from the calyx. Calyx 5-toothed or 5-fid. Staminal column split at the top into numerous filaments. Ovary 1-celled or 2–5-celled; ovules 1 in each cell; styles as many as the cells, clavate flattened or filiform, stigmatic along the inner side. Fruit of one or several carpels seceding from a common axis, indehiscent or splitting irregularly. Seed solitary, pendulous.
A small genus of about 12 species, confined to Australia and New Zealand, the species found in each country being endemic. The New Zealand species are practically diœcious, although a few hermaphrodite or female flowers are occasionally mixed with the males.
( Plagianthus Lyallii, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Flora, 30, is now referred to Gaya. P. linariifolia, Buch. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 394, t. 34, is Coprosma Kirkii, Cheesem.)
Shrub, much branched. Leaves small, linear, entire. Flowers solitary or fascicled 1. P. divaricatus. Small tree. Leaves linear-oblong, toothed. Flowers in few-flowered cymes 2. P. cymosus. Tree, 30–60 ft. Leaves ovate or ovate-lanceolate, serrate. Flowers numerous, in decompound panicles 3. P. betulinus.
2. Hoheria, A. Cunn.
A shrub or small tree. Leaves petiolate, alternate, serrate. Flowers numerous, in axillary fascicles, white; peduncles jointed at the middle. Bracteoles wanting. Calyx hemispherical, 5-toothed. Petals oblique, notched near the apex. Staminal column split at the top into numerous filaments, usually arranged in 5 bundles. Ovary 5-celled, rarely more; ovules 1 in each cell; style-branches as many as the cells, filiform; stigmas capitate. Fruiting carpels 5, placed round a central axis from which they fall away when ripe, indehiscent, furnished with a broad membranous wing at the back. Seed pendulous.
A genus confined to New Zealand. It is doubtful whether it should be regarded as composed of one highly variable species or of 3 or 4 closely allied ones.
3. Gaya, H. B. K.
Herbs or shrubs, rarely small trees, usually tomentose with stellate hairs. Flowers pedunculate, axillary or terminal. Bracteoles wanting. Calyx 5-fid. Staminal column split at the apex into numerous filaments. Ovary many-celled; style-branches as many as the cells, filiform; stigmas capitate or truncate; ovules solitary in each cell. Mature carpels membranous, connivent at the apex, separable from the axis, 2-valved at the back and leaving a free appendage within which arises from the base of the carpel and partly surrounds the seed. Seed pendulous or horizontal.
Species 8–12, all South American except the present one, which is endemic in New Zealand.
1. | G. Lyallii, J. E. Baker in Journ. Bot. xxx. (1892) 137.—A small graceful spreading tree 15–30 ft. in height; young branches, leaves, petioles, and inflorescence more or less covered with stellate pubescence. Leaves on slender petioles 1–2 in. long; blade 2–4 in., ovate, acuminate, usually deeply doubly crenate, sometimes shortly lobed and crenate, cordate and truncate at the base, membranous. Flowers abundantly produced, large, ¾–1 in. diam., white, in axillary fascicles of 3–5, rarely solitary; peduncles slender, 1–2 in., ebracteolate. Calyx broadly campanulate, 5-lobed; lobes triangular. Petals obliquely obovate, retuse towards the apex. Staminal column short, swollen at the base; filaments numerous, long, filiform. Ovary 10–15-celled; styles long, slender, filiform, free to below the middle; stigmas obliquely capitate. Fruit ½ in. diam., globose, slightly depressed, of about 12 much-flattened membranous reniform carpels. Carpels not winged, 2-valved, 1-seeded. Seed much compressed.— Kirk, Students' Fl. 72. Hoheria Lyallii, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 31, t. 11. Plagianthus Lyallii, Asa Gray ex Hook. f. l.c. ii. 326; Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 30; Bot. Mag. t. 5935; Kirk, Forest Fl. t. 134. Sida Lyallii, F. Muell. Veg. Chath. Is. 11. South Island: Subalpine forests from Nelson to Otago, most plentiful on the western side. Ascends to 3500 ft. Lacebark. December–January. One of the most beautiful trees of the New Zealand flora, often forming a broad fringe to the subalpine beech forests. It is partly deciduous at high elevations, but is certainly evergreen in the river-valleys of Westland and Nelson, where it is very abundant. There are apparently two forms of flowers, one with long styles almost equalling the stamens, another with styles less than half their length. |
4. Hibiscus, Linn.
Herbs, shrubs, or trees; glabrous, tomentose, or hispid, the hairs usually stellate. Leaves very various, often more or less palmately lobed. Flowers large and showy. Bracteoles numerous, rarely few, usually narrow, free or connate at the base. Calyx 5-toothed or 5-fid, valvate. Petals 5, adnate at the base to the staminal column. Staminal column truncate or 5-toothed at the summit; filaments many, inserted on the sides of the column; anthers reniform. Ovary 5-celled; ovules 3 or more in each cell; styles 5, spreading; stigmas capitate. Capsule loculicidally 5-valved. Seeds glabrous hairy or woolly.
A large and beautiful genus, abundant in the tropical regions of both hemispheres, a few species only extending into the north or south temperate zones. Both the New Zealand species have a wide distribution outside the colony.
Annual or biennial, 1–2 ft. Leaves deeply lobed. Flowers axillary 1. H. trionum. Perennial, 3–6 ft.; stem prickly. Leaves broad, lobes shallow. Flowers in terminal racemes 2. H. diversifolius.
1. | H. trionum, Linn. Sp. Plant. 697.—A simple or branched annual or biennial 1–2 ft. high, scabrous-pubescent or hispid; branches erect or spreading. Leaves very variable, 1–3 in. long, lower orbicular-cordate with 3–5 shallow lobes, middle and upper deeply 3–5-lobed or partite; segments oblong or lanceolate, coarsely toothed or incised. Flowers on short axillary peduncles, large, 1–1½ in. diam., pale-yellow with a dark-brown centre. Bracteoles 7–12, narrow-linear, hispid. Calyx membranous, inflated, with numerous raised hispid veins, shortly 5-lobed. Capsule ovoid-globose, hirsute, enclosed in the bladdery calyx. Seeds glabrous.— Bot. Mag. t. 209; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 28; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 31; Benth. Fl. Austral. i. 210; Kirk, Students' Fl. 73. H. vesicarius, Cav. Diss. iii. 171, t. 64, f. 2; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 607; Raoul, Choix de Plantes, 48. North Island: Sheltered places near the sea, from the North Cape to the Auckland Isthmus, rare and local. Hicks Bay, East Cape, Bishop Williams! South Island: South Wanganui, Lyall. In most tropical countries outside America. |
2. | H. diversifolius, Jacq. Ic. Plant. Rar. t. 551.—A tall stout and rigid perennial 3–6 ft. high, often woody at the base; branches, petioles, and nerves of the leaves covered with short conical prickles. Leaves on stout petioles 2–3 in. long; blade 2–4 in., broadly cordate or nearly orbicular, irregularly toothed, angular or slightly 3–5-lobed, scabrous. Flowers in terminal racemes, large, handsome, 2–3 in. diam., pale-yellow with a dark centre. Pedicels short; bracts lanceolate or 3-fid. Bracteoles 10, linear. Calyx-lobes lanceolate, bristly. Capsule ovoid, acuminate, densely hispid.— Benth. Fl. Austral. i. 213; Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. iii. (1871) 163; Students' Fl. 73. North Island: Moist sandy places near the sea, from the North Cape to Hokianga and the Bay of Islands, rare, Colenso, Kirk! R. H. Matthews! T. F. C. Also in Australia, the Pacific islands, tropical Africa, &c. Both this and the preceding species are being rapidly destroyed by cattle, fires, &c., and are now rare or almost extinct in localities where they were plentiful twenty or thirty years ago. |