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MALVASTRUM and SPHÆRALCEA. When the first-named genus was found, no one supposed that in the principal North American species it came so very name to Sphaeralcea. Certainly not Mr. Bentham, who in the Genera Plantarum placed it is in the Eumalveae subtribe. The difficulty in this respect some became apparent, was alluded to by Mr. Watson in the Botany of King's Expedition, p. 48, and later by Prof. Rothrock in the Botany of Wheeler's Explorations. Although the two genera are essentially confluent through certain species, they really ought not to be combined under Sphæralcea, nor can they be distinguished, as was supposed, by the number of ovules or seeds. The practical course, in my opinion, is to retain in Malvastrum the species with cell of the carpels conformed to the solitary ovule and seed, therefore with no empty terminal portion, and to refer to Sphæralcea those with solitary or occasionally two ovules, which when the upper ovule is either abortive or wanting have the upper part, usually the whole upper half, of the mature carpel empty, and of a different texture from the lower part, being thin and smooth, while the latter has rugose-reticulated sides. In these Pseudo-Malvastrum species, some of them more commonly bi-ovulate, the mature carpels fall away clean from the receptacle. In the true Sphæralcea they usually, after separation from the axis and dehiscence, remain (as in some other genera) for some time attached by a thread passing from the receptacle to the dorsal base of each carpel, which at length tears away, sometimes from the receptacle, sometimes from the back of the carpel.

Our species of Malvastrum and of Sphæralcea are difficult, and have been not a little confused. I understand them as presented below.

MALVASTRUM, Gray.

SPHÆRALCEA, St. Hil. char. auct.

According to the view now adopted,, the following are the North American species. Some of them are not easy to be defined and probably run together.

[1] These species are now separated as Eremalche Greene.
[2] Correctly known as M. hispidum.
[3] The application of the rules on nomenclature is such that M. rugelii has reverted to the earlier M. corchorifolium.
[4] Correctly known as M. coromandelianum.
[5] Correctly known as M. tomentosum.
[6] Also included under M. tomentosum.
[7] Correctly known as M. americanum.
[8] M. aurantiacum is the currently accepted name.
[9] These plants are now placed in Sphaeralcea (leptophyllus and coccineus) and Malacothamnus. Malvastrum thurberi is Malacothamnus fasciculatus.
[10] Now placed in Iliamna, as I. rivuluaris

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