1256 



STERCULIA* lanceolata. 

 Lanceolate Sterculia. 



IMONCECIA MONADELPHJA. 



Nat. ord. SterculiacejE. 

 STERCULIA. — Suprd, vol. 3. fol. 185. 



S. lanceolata ; foliis integerrimis lanceolatis, carpellis oblongis oligospermis. 



Decand. prodr. 1. 481. 

 S. lanceolata. Cavanilles dissert. 5. p. 187. t. 143. f. 1. Spreng. syst. 



3.81. 



Arbor mediocris, ramis teretibus, glabris. Folia angust^ lanceolata v. 

 oblongo-lanceolata, acuminata, membranacea, utrinque glaberrima, petiolata; 

 petiolisque utrinque tumidis. Flores parvi, paniculis parvis pilosis dispositi. 

 Calyces stellati, patentee, rubro-fusci. Csetera Sterculice. 



This species is a native of China, whence it was brought 

 to the Horticultural Society, in 1822, by Mr. John Potts, 

 one of their collectors. It is a stove tree, producing its 

 inconspicuous, dull-red flowers in May and June : the 

 foliage is remarkably like that of Reevesia cliinensis, and 

 constitutes its only claim to notice as an ornamental garden 

 plant, unless it should hereafter produce ripe fruits, which, 

 according to Cavanilles, are bright scarlet, with black round 

 seeds, that stick to each side of the follicle when it opens. 



It was first described by this writer from a Chinese 

 drawing sent to Jussieu by the Father D'Incarville, in 

 which the leaves are much smaller than those here repre- 

 sented ; but we have seen the size of the leaves of the 

 cultivated plant vary so much, that we cannot attach any 

 value to that circumstance. 



Professor Sprengel refers to this the Helicteres undulata 



So called from the foetid smell of some of the species. 



