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''Sterculia'' is a
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s in the mallow family,
Malvaceae Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ...
: subfamily
Sterculioideae Sterculioideae is a subfamily of the family Malvaceae containing evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs. A 2006 molecular study indicated the Sterculioideae was most likely to be a monophyletic group, and that it had four major clades within ...
(previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may be
monoecious Monoecy (; adj. monoecious ) is a sexual system in seed plants where separate male and female cones or flowers are present on the same plant. It is a monomorphic sexual system alongside gynomonoecy, andromonoecy and trimonoecy. Monoecy is conne ...
or
dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...
, and its flowers unisexual or bisexual.


Taxonomy


Phylogeny

A 27-million-year-old †''Sterculia labrusca'' leaf
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
is described from the Evros region in
Western Thrace Western Thrace or West Thrace ( el, υτικήΘράκη, '' ytikíThráki'' ; tr, Batı Trakya; bg, Западна/Беломорска Тракия, ''Zapadna/Belomorska Trakiya''), also known as Greek Thrace, is a Geography, geograp ...
,
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
.


Species

The Plant List The Plant List was a list of botanical names of species of plants created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Missouri Botanical Garden and launched in 2010. It was intended to be a comprehensive record of all known names of plant species ...
counts 91 currently accepted species. The accepted species are listed here, except as noted. *''
Sterculia abbreviata ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' ma ...
'' E.L.Taylor ex Mondragón *''
Sterculia aerisperma ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' ma ...
'' Cuatrec. *''
Sterculia africana ''Sterculia africana'' or African star-chestnut is a deciduous tree, belonging to the genus ''Sterculia'' and the family Malvaceae (previously the Sterculiaceae, now relegated to a subfamily). The species is sometimes called the "mopopaja tree". ...
'' ( Lour.) Fiori – Mopopaja tree *''
Sterculia albidiflora ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
'' Ducke *''
Sterculia alexandri ''Sterculia alexandri'' is a species of plant in the family Malvaceae. It is endemic to South Africa, occurring in the Eastern Cape, and only found in a few localities: the Winterhoek Mountains near Uitenhage, Van Staaden's Mountains near Port El ...
'' Harv. – Cape sterculia *''
Sterculia amazonica ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
'' E.L.Taylor ex Mondragón *''
Sterculia antioquia ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
'' E.L.Taylor *''
Sterculia apeibophylla ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
'' Ducke *''
Sterculia alexandri ''Sterculia alexandri'' is a species of plant in the family Malvaceae. It is endemic to South Africa, occurring in the Eastern Cape, and only found in a few localities: the Winterhoek Mountains near Uitenhage, Van Staaden's Mountains near Port El ...
'' (
Jacq. Nikolaus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin (16 February 172726 October 1817) was a scientist who studied medicine, chemistry and botany. Biography Born in Leiden in the Netherlands, he studied medicine at Leiden University, then moved first to Par ...
)
H.Karst. Gustav Karl Wilhelm Hermann Karsten (6 November 1817, in Stralsund – 10 July 1908, in Zoppot) was a German botanist and geologist. Born in Stralsund, he followed the example of Alexander von Humboldt and traveled 1844-56 the northern part of So ...
*''
Sterculia apetala ''Sterculia apetala'', commonly known as the Panama tree, camoruco, manduvi tree or anacagüita, is a species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae. It is found in Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean islands. ''Sterculia ape ...
'' (
Jacq. Nikolaus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin (16 February 172726 October 1817) was a scientist who studied medicine, chemistry and botany. Biography Born in Leiden in the Netherlands, he studied medicine at Leiden University, then moved first to Par ...
)
H.Karst. Gustav Karl Wilhelm Hermann Karsten (6 November 1817, in Stralsund – 10 July 1908, in Zoppot) was a German botanist and geologist. Born in Stralsund, he followed the example of Alexander von Humboldt and traveled 1844-56 the northern part of So ...
– Panama tree; manduvi tree *''
Sterculia appendiculata ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' ma ...
''
K.Schum. Karl Moritz Schumann (17 June 1851 – 22 March 1904) was a German botanist. Schumann was born in Görlitz. He was curator of the Botanisches Museum in Berlin-Dahlem from 1880 until 1894. He also served as the first chairman of the ''Deut ...
*'' Sterculia balanghas'' L. or Aiton (status unresolved) *'' Sterculia brevissima'' H.H. Hsue *'' Sterculia caribaea'' R. Br. *'' Sterculia ceramica'' R. Br. *'' Sterculia chapelieri''
Baill. Henri Ernest Baillon was a French botanist and physician. He was born in Calais on 30 November 1827 and died in Paris on 19 July 1895. Baillon spent his professional life as a professor of natural history, and he published numerous works on ...
*''
Sterculia chicomendesii ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
'' E.L. Taylor *''
Sterculia cinerea ''Sterculia cinerea'' is a species of plant in the family Malvaceae. It is found in Eritrea, Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Rep ...
'' Schweinf. or A.Rich. (status unresolved) *''
Sterculia cinnamomifolia ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
'' Tsai & Mao *'' Sterculia cochinchinensis'' Pierre ''Trôm nam'' in Vietnam (status unresolved) *''
Sterculia colombiana ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' ma ...
'' Sprague *''
Sterculia colorata ''Sterculia colorata'', the scarlet sterculia (also known as bonfire tree, colored sterculia and Indian almond, in Assamese ওদাল (odal) and in Marathi known as "कौशी" aushi, is a medium-sized tree with spreading branches. It shed ...
'' – Scarlet sterculia (synonym of ''
Firmiana colorata ''Sterculia colorata'', the scarlet sterculia (also known as bonfire tree, colored sterculia and Indian almond, in Assamese ওদাল (odal) and in Marathi known as "कौशी" aushi, is a medium-sized tree with spreading branches. It shed ...
'') *'' Sterculia comorensis'' Sprague *'' Sterculia corrugata'' Little *'' Sterculia costaricana'' Pittier *'' Sterculia curiosa'' (Vell.) Taroda *'' Sterculia dawei'' Sprague *''
Sterculia duckei ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
'' E.L. Taylor ex J.A.C. Silva & M.F. Silva *'' Sterculia euosma'' W.W. Sm. *'' Sterculia excelsa'' Mart. *'' Sterculia foetida'' L. – bastard poon tree, hazel sterculia, wild almond tree *''
Sterculia frondosa ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' ma ...
'' Rich. *''
Sterculia gengmaensis ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Malva, mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia ...
'' H.H. Hsue *'' Sterculia gilva'' Miq. *'' Sterculia guangxiensis'' S.J. Xu & P.T. Li *'' Sterculia guapayensis'' Cuatrec. *'' Sterculia guianensis'' Sandwith *'' Sterculia guttata'' Roxb. ex G.Don (status unresolved) *''
Sterculia hainanensis ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
'' Merr. and Chun *'' Sterculia henryi''
Hemsl. William Botting Hemsley (29 December 1843, in East Hoathly – 7 October 1924, in Kent) was an English botanist and 1909 Victoria Medal (horticulture), Victoria Medal of Honour recipient. He was born in East Hoathly, Sussex and in 1860 started wo ...
*'' Sterculia hymenocalyx'' K. Schum. *''
Sterculia hypochroa ''Sterculia hypochroa'' is a tree species described by Pierre, belonging to the genus ''Sterculia'' and the family Malvaceae (previously the Sterculiaceae, now relegated to a subfamily). No subspecies are listed in the Catalogue of Life. These ...
'' Pierre – ''Trôm quạt'' in Vietnam (status unresolved) *''
Sterculia impressinervis ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
'' H.H. Hsue *''
Sterculia kayae ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
'' P.E. Berry *'' Sterculia khasiana'' Debb. *''
Sterculia killipiana ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Malva, mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia ...
''
Standl. Paul Carpenter Standley (March 21, 1884 – June 2, 1963) was an American botanist known for his work on neotropical plants. __TOC__ Standley was born on March 21, 1884 in Avalon, Missouri. He attended Drury College in Springfield, Missouri an ...
ex E.L.Taylor
*'' Sterculia kingtungensis'' H.H. Hsue *'' Sterculia lanceifolia'' Roxb. *'' Sterculia lanceolata'' Cav. (synonym for ''S. tonkinensis'' Aug. DC.) *'' Sterculia lisae'' E.L. Taylor *'' Sterculia macerenica'' E.L. Taylor *''
Sterculia mexicana ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' ma ...
'' R.Br. *''
Sterculia mhoysa ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' ma ...
''
Engl. Engl or Engl. may refer to: *England, a country that is part of the United Kingdom *English *Engl (surname), a German surname *Engl., taxonomic abbreviation for botanist Adolf Engler Heinrich Gustav Adolf Engler (25 March 1844 – 10 October 193 ...
*'' Sterculia micrantha'' Chun and H.H. Hsue *''
Sterculia mirabilis ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
'' (A. Chev.) Roberty *'' Sterculia monosperma'' Vent. – China chestnut, seven sisters' fruit, pheng phok *''
Sterculia multiovula ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Malva, mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia ...
'' E.L. Taylor *''
Sterculia murex ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
''
Hemsl. William Botting Hemsley (29 December 1843, in East Hoathly – 7 October 1924, in Kent) was an English botanist and 1909 Victoria Medal (horticulture), Victoria Medal of Honour recipient. He was born in East Hoathly, Sussex and in 1860 started wo ...
– Lowveld chestnut *''
Sterculia narioensis ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
'' E.L. Taylor *'' Sterculia oblonga'' Mast. *'' Sterculia ornatisepala'' E.L. Taylor *'' Sterculia paniculata'' *'' Sterculia parviflora'' Roxb. *'' Sterculia pendula'' Ducke *'' Sterculia peruviana'' (D.R. Simpson) E.L. Taylor ex Brako and Zarucchi *'' Sterculia petensis'' E.L. Taylor *'' Sterculia pexa'' Pierre *''
Sterculia pinbienensis ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
'' Tsai & Mao *'' Sterculia principis'' Gagnep. *''
Sterculia pruriens ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' ma ...
'' ( Aubl.)
K.Schum. Karl Moritz Schumann (17 June 1851 – 22 March 1904) was a German botanist. Schumann was born in Görlitz. He was curator of the Botanisches Museum in Berlin-Dahlem from 1880 until 1894. He also served as the first chairman of the ''Deut ...
*''
Sterculia purpurea ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' ma ...
'' E.L. Taylor *''
Sterculia quadrifida ''Sterculia quadrifida'', also known as the peanut tree, or red-fruited kurrajong is a small tree that grows in the rainforests, vine thickets, and gallery forests of New Guinea and northern Australia. The tree grows to a height of and has a ...
'' – Gorarbar (status unresolved) *'' Sterculia quinqueloba'' (Garcke)
K.Schum. Karl Moritz Schumann (17 June 1851 – 22 March 1904) was a German botanist. Schumann was born in Görlitz. He was curator of the Botanisches Museum in Berlin-Dahlem from 1880 until 1894. He also served as the first chairman of the ''Deut ...
– Five-lobed sterculia *'' Sterculia rebeccae'' E.L. Taylor *'' Sterculia recordiana''
Standl. Paul Carpenter Standley (March 21, 1884 – June 2, 1963) was an American botanist known for his work on neotropical plants. __TOC__ Standley was born on March 21, 1884 in Avalon, Missouri. He attended Drury College in Springfield, Missouri an ...
*'' Sterculia rhinopetala''
K.Schum. Karl Moritz Schumann (17 June 1851 – 22 March 1904) was a German botanist. Schumann was born in Görlitz. He was curator of the Botanisches Museum in Berlin-Dahlem from 1880 until 1894. He also served as the first chairman of the ''Deut ...
– Red sterculia *'' Sterculia rigidifolia'' Ducke *'' Sterculia rogersii'' N.E. Br. – Ulumbu tree *'' Sterculia rugosa'' R.Br. *'' Sterculia rubiginosa'' Vent – ''Bai rua long'' in Vietnam *'' Sterculia scandens''
Hemsl. William Botting Hemsley (29 December 1843, in East Hoathly – 7 October 1924, in Kent) was an English botanist and 1909 Victoria Medal (horticulture), Victoria Medal of Honour recipient. He was born in East Hoathly, Sussex and in 1860 started wo ...
*''
Sterculia schliebenii ''Sterculia schliebenii'' is a species of plant in the family Malvaceae. It is found in Kenya, Mozambique, and Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in Ea ...
''
Mildbr. Gottfried Wilhelm Johannes Mildbraed (19 December 1879 – 24 December 1954) was a German botanist that specialized in mosses, ferns, and various spermatophytes. He is well known for authoring the most current monograph and taxonomic treatment of ...
*'' Sterculia setigera'' Delile *'' Sterculia simaoensis'' Y.Y. Qian *''
Sterculia speciosa ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
''
K.Schum. Karl Moritz Schumann (17 June 1851 – 22 March 1904) was a German botanist. Schumann was born in Görlitz. He was curator of the Botanisches Museum in Berlin-Dahlem from 1880 until 1894. He also served as the first chairman of the ''Deut ...
*''
Sterculia steyermarkii ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' ma ...
'' E.L. Taylor ex Mondragón *''
Sterculia stigmarota ''Sterculia stigmarota'' is a plant, belonging to the genus '' Sterculia'' and the family Malvaceae (previously the Sterculiaceae, now relegated to a subfamily). This species is found only in southern Vietnam (where it is known as ''bảy thưa ...
'' Pierre (status unresolved) *''
Sterculia stipulifera ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' ma ...
'' Ducke *'' Sterculia striata'' A. St.-Hil. & Naudin *'' Sterculia subnobilis'' H.H. Hsue *'' Sterculia subracemosa'' Chun & H.H. Hsue *''
Sterculia subviolacea ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
''
K.Schum. Karl Moritz Schumann (17 June 1851 – 22 March 1904) was a German botanist. Schumann was born in Görlitz. He was curator of the Botanisches Museum in Berlin-Dahlem from 1880 until 1894. He also served as the first chairman of the ''Deut ...
*'' Sterculia tavia''
Baill. Henri Ernest Baillon was a French botanist and physician. He was born in Calais on 30 November 1827 and died in Paris on 19 July 1895. Baillon spent his professional life as a professor of natural history, and he published numerous works on ...
*'' Sterculia tessmannii''
Mildbr. Gottfried Wilhelm Johannes Mildbraed (19 December 1879 – 24 December 1954) was a German botanist that specialized in mosses, ferns, and various spermatophytes. He is well known for authoring the most current monograph and taxonomic treatment of ...
*'' Sterculia tonkinensis'' Aug. DC. *'' Sterculia tantraensis'' *''
Sterculia tragacantha ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
''
Lindl. John Lindley FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist. Early years Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley w ...
*''
Sterculia urens ''Sterculia urens'' is a species of plant in the family Malvaceae. It is native to India and has been introduced into Burma. A small to medium-sized tree with a pale-coloured trunk, it is commonly known as the ''bhutyā'' ( भुत्या) in ...
'' – Gulu (synonym of ''
Firmiana simplex ''Firmiana simplex'', commonly known as the Chinese parasol tree, Chinese parasoltree, or wutong (), is an ornamental plant of tree size assigned to the family Malvaceae that was formerly in the family Sterculiaceae in the order Malvales, and i ...
'') **''S. urens'' var. ''thorelii'' is a synonym of ''S. thorelii'' Pierre – (''Bay thua Thorel'' in Vietnam) *'' Sterculia venezuelensis'' Pittier *''
Sterculia villifera ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia'' may ...
'' Steud. – Broad-leaved bottle tree *''
Sterculia villosa ''Sterculia villosa'', the hairy sterculia, or elephant rope tree, known vernacularly as Sardol, Udal, or Udar in Northeast India, is a medium-sized, monoecious tree. A leaf from this plant is characterized by a petiole about 25–40 cm l ...
'' Roxb. *'' Sterculia xolocotzii'' T. Wendt & E.L. Taylor *''
Sterculia yuanjiangensis ''Sterculia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Malva, mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. ''Sterculia ...
'' H.H. Hsue & X.J.Xu


Deprecated


Etymology

The scientific name is taken from Sterculius of
Roman mythology Roman mythology is the body of myths of ancient Rome as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans. One of a wide variety of genres of Roman folklore, ''Roman mythology'' may also refer to the modern study of these representat ...
, who was the god of manure; this is in reference to the unpleasant aroma of the flowers of this genus (''e.g. Sterculia foetida'').


Ecology

''Sterculia'' species are food plants for the
larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...
e of some
Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...
species including the
leaf miner A leaf miner is any one of numerous species of insects in which the larval stage lives in, and eats, the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths (Lepidoptera), sawflies (Symphyta, the mother clade of wasps), ...
'' Bucculatrix xenaula'', which feeds exclusively on this genus.


Toxicity and uses

The pods, particularly those of ''S. foetida'', contain seeds reported to be edible, with a taste similar to cocoa.. However, the oil contains
cyclopropene Cyclopropene is an organic compound with the formula . It is the simplest cycloalkene. Because the ring is highly strained, cyclopropene is difficult to prepare and highly reactive. This colorless gas has been the subject for many fundamental st ...
fatty acids which could be
carcinogenic A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive substan ...
or co-carcinogenic.L. O. Hanus, P. Goldshlag, V. M. Dembitsky (2008). "Identification Of Cyclopropyl Fatty Acids In Walnut (Juglans Regia L.) Oil." Biomed Pap Med Fac Univ Palacky Olomouc Czech Repub. 2008, 152(1):41–45. Gum karaya is extracted from ''Sterculia'' species, and is used as a thickener and
emulsifier An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible (unmixable or unblendable) owing to liquid-liquid phase separation. Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. Altho ...
in foods, as a laxative, and as a denture adhesive. In India, this is sourced from:
Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
,
Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
,
Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
,
Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
and Chhota Nagpur.


References


External links

* *
FAO: Species with edible "nuts" listed by families angiosperms (under Sterculiaceae)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1478297 Malvaceae genera