226 XXTI. sTEKCULiACEiE. [^SterctiUa, 



r 



staminal coluinn is shorter and the anthers less perfect than in the males, 

 sun-ounding the hase of the ovary • in the males the ovary is often entirely 

 abortive. 



A large genus, almost entirely tropical, aiul more abundant in Asia tlian in Africa or America, 

 where however several species are found. The Aiistralian ones are all endemic, except 

 S.fasiida, which is a widely-spread Asiatic one. 



The species of this genvis were distribvUed by Schott into a number of genera, founded 

 chiefly on the flowers and habit, afterwards reduced and rearranged by R. Brown, chiefly on 

 carpological characters, without reference to habit or calyx. The n^ajotity of the Austrahan 

 ones belong to the group distinguished by R. Brown chiefly by the seeds having a loose outer 

 coaling covered with hairs, which in some species are so adhesive that the seeds lall out in 

 their inner coating only, leaving the outer coating adhering to the equally hairy endocarp, 

 vrith the appearance of the cells of a beehi^gE \ and by the radicle next to the hilnm. The seeds 

 do not appear to cohere iu all the species, in some they are hitherto unknown, and in flowers 

 and habit, S. rawifora and S. rnpestris, S.foetida and S. quadrifida are more diflercnt from 

 each other than from species belonging respectively to other groups. Among species not 

 Australian, the position of the radicle unites two very heteromorphous ones under Firmiana, 

 and would (as observed to me by M. Poinsot, of the Paris Ilerbarium) lead to separate 

 S, mexicatia from other digitate-leaved American species. I have therefore, with Endlicher 

 and others, considered. Schott and Brown's genera as sections only. 



Sect. 1. Sterculia.— i?^^/*;^^ at the end remote from the hilum. Seeds and inside 

 of the carpels glabrous. 



Leaves digitate. Calyx-lobes 5, spreading. Staminal column long anj 



iucurve'd 1. S,fcetida. 



(See 12. S, rupestris, which has the leaves sometimes digitate.) 

 Leaves large, entire. Calyx -lobes 4, cohering at the tips . . , • 2, ^. quadrifda. 



Sect. 2, Brachycliitoii. — Radicle next the hilum. Seeds and inside of the carpeU 

 usually villous, often cohering. Leaves entire or lohed {digitate only on some hranches of 

 S. rupcstris). Calyx-tohes spreading. 



Calyx-lobes (where known) with induplicate margins. Seeds (where known) scarcely coher- 

 ing. Leaves tomentose or pubescent, at least underneath. Flowers large, sessile. 

 {Br achy chiton^ Schott.) 

 Leaves green and softly tomentose or pubescent on both sides. 

 Leaves broad, entire or obscurely 5- or 7-lobcd, Calyx broadly 



canipanulate 3. & ramifora. 



Leaves 3-lobed. Calyx tubular-campanulate 4. ^S*. Bidwilh^ 



Leaves palmately 5- or 7-lobed . < . . • 1 ., S. lurida. 



Leaves white underneath. 



Leaves angular or obscurely 5- or 7-lobed ...,,.... 6. ^. discolor^ 

 Leaves palmately 5- or 7-lobed, with acuminate lobes .... 6. -S. incana. 

 Calyx-lobes strictly valvate. Outer coating of the seeds usually re- 

 maining adherent to the endocarp. Leaves glabrous. Flowers in 

 short panicles. 



Calyx narrow, lobes lanceolate, shorter than the tube. Leaves pal- 

 mately 5- or 7-lobed {Trichosiphov, Schott) ?>. S. tricJiosiphon. 



Calyx broadly campanulate, deeply lobed {Pcecilodermis, Schott). 



Leaves large, palmately 5- or 7-lobed. Flowers qttite glabrous . 9. 5. acenfolia. 

 Leaves entire, ovate or cordate, or 3-lobed, acuminate. Flowers 

 tomentose outside when young, glabrous inside. Follicles sti- 

 pitate 10, A'. diversifoUa. 



Leaves cordate-acuminate, entire. Flowers tomentose outside, 



hirsute inside at the base. Follicles nearly sessile , • . . 11. 5. caudata. 



Leaves entire and lanceolate, or digitate. Flowers tomentose outside. 



Follicles long-stipitate 12. S. rupestns. 



1. S. foetiday Linn, ; BO. Prod. i. 483. A tall stout tree, glabrous, except 



