1 64 Sterculiaccce . {StcrcuHa. 



1. S. foetlda, L. S/>. PI. 1008 (1753). Telambu, S. 



Herm. Mus. 5. Burm. Thes. 169. Fl. Zeyl. n. 349. Moon Cat. Add. 

 Thw. Enum. 29. C. P. 1140. 



Fl. B. Ind. i. 354. Wight, Ic. tt. 181, 364. 



A large tree, with whorled horizontal branches, bark thick, 

 whitish, flaking off, twigs thick, marked with large leaf-scars ; 

 1. closely placed at ends of branches, digitate, on long petioles, 

 Iflts. 5-7, sessile, 5-7 in., lanceolate, tapering at both ends, 

 very acute, entire, glabrous (pubescent when very young), stip. 

 caducous ; fl. ij-ii in. diam., in erect racemose panicles 6-8 in. 

 long, given off from the new growth immediately beneath the 

 young 1.; ped. |-i in., pointed above the middle; cal. very 

 deeply cut, segments linear-lanceolate, acute, spreading, 

 slightly pubescent, more or less woolly within ; male fl. : — 

 stam. -column nearly \ in., much curved, anth. 15-20; fem. 

 fl. : — carp. 5, woolly, gynophore \ in. long, styles woolly, 

 curved downwards, abortive anth. nearly sessile, in a ring 

 below carp. ; follicles 1-5 usually 3, very large, pendulous, 

 5 in. long, ovoid-pyriform, blunt, bright scarlet, very thick and 

 woody, almost flat when fully open, glabrous within ; seeds 

 several, nearly sessile, large, nearly i in., ovoid-oblong, gla- 

 brous, black with a small yellow aril or caruncle on one side 

 at the base. 



Low country ; common, especially in the dry region. Fl. August ; 

 dull orange. 



Also in Southern India, Burma, Moluccas, N. Australia, and E. Trop. 

 Africa. 



The flowers have a most offensive odour. The great pendulous red 

 follicles gaping open and showing the black seeds within are very striking 

 objects. 



Wood very light, open in texture but tough, yellowish-white. The 

 seeds are eaten roasted. 



2. S. urens, Roxb. Hort. Bcng. 50 (1814). Kavali, T. 

 Moon Cat. Add. Thw. Enum. "29. C. P. 2854. 



Fl. B. Ind. i. 355. Roxb. Cor. PI. i. t. 24. 



A tree, with few spreading branches and thick blunt 

 twigs, outer bark papery, flaking off, leaf-scars conspicuous, 

 young parts pubescent; 1. large, 8-12 in., on tomentose 

 petioles about the same length, closely placed at ends of 

 branches, rotundate, cordate at base, shallowly palmately cut 

 into 5 caudate-acuminate lobes, slightly pubescent above, 

 velvety beneath ; fl. small, under ^ in., pedicellate, in much- 

 branched, glandular-pubescent panicles appearing before the 

 leaves at the end of the branches ; cal. pubescent on both 

 sides, segments ovate-oblong, acute, tube campanulate ; male 

 fl. : — stam.-column short, anth. about 20 ; bisexual fl. : — few, 



