1792 



A TEXTBOOK OF THEORETICAL BOTANY 



Monkey Bread. The trunk is quite short but of enormous thickness. The 

 fruits are large, woody, indehiscent capsules with interior pulp which is 

 edible (Fig. 1684). 



A third family included here is the Sterculiaceae. It is a fairly large 

 family with about forty-eight genera and 660 species. Most of them are 

 trees or shrubs or occasionally climbers. The most important is Theohroma 

 cacao, a native of tropical America which is now mainly cultivated in the 

 Gold Coast. It bears large reddish-yellow fruits directly on the older 

 branches (Fig. 1685). It is from these fruits that the Cocoa of commerce 

 is prepared by grinding the seeds after they have been fermented and 



Fig. 1685. — I'heobruiiui cacao. Old branches bearing tiowers and fruit 

 simultaneously. Photograph supplied by courtesy of Messrs. Cadbury Ltd. 



roasted. The pressed seeds are also used in the preparation of Cocoa- 

 butter, for in this case the fats are solid at ordinary temperatures. 



Cola acuminata provides the Kola nuts which form one of the principal 

 trades in West Africa. It is very common in forests but is rarely cultivated. 

 The nuts contain caffein and when chewed help to overcome fatigue. They 

 are used in some refreshing drinks. 



Malvaceae 



This family includes a number of British species though it is more 

 widely distributed in the warmer parts of the world. Among the British 

 species we may mention Malva moschata (Musk Mallow), M. rotundi- 

 folia (Dwarf Mallow) and M. sylvestris (Common Mallow), Lavatera 

 arborea (Tree Mallow) and Althaea officinalis (Marsh Mallow). 



Several are commonly cultivated in gardens, for example, the Holly- 

 hock, Althaea rosea, while species of Abutilon and Hibiscus are grown in all 



