Habit
ours herbs or shrubs
Leaves
alternate, simple, stipulate
Inflorescence
racemose: raceme or panicle
Flowers
perfect, regular
Sepals
Petals
5, distinct, adnate to stamen column
Stamens
many, centrifugal, monadelphous (i.e., filaments connate
into a tube surrounding the pistil), anthers unilocular
Ovary
superior, of 4-many carpels with 4-many locules and 1
or many ovules
Fruit
a schizocarp (each segment called a mericarp) or rarely
a capsule
Diversity
75 genera/1500 species
Distribution mostly tropical
Economics
mostly from Old World species
1) cotton (Gossypium spp.) fibers are hairs on seeds; also used as oil source
and feed for livestock
2) okra (Hibiscus esculentus); mucous....slime factor
3) ornamentals like Hollyhock (Althea), Hibiscus