1 66 Sterculiacece. {StenuHa. 



runcle at base, embryo large, cotyledons thick, fleshy, endo- 

 sperm between fleshy and horny. 



Low country ; common. Fl. July, August ; green, with crimson 

 hairs, sweet-scented. 



Also in the Indian and Malay Peninsulas. 



The brilliant red downy follicles burst along one side when mature, 

 and show the large jet-black seeds, which remain pendulous for some 

 time ; the whole fruit is then very conspicuous as it hangs down from the 

 tree. Each seed-coat consists of an external very thin and brittle black 

 skin and an internal thick coriaceous coat black outside and pale shining 

 brown within, and between them a layer of cheesy pulp. 



5. S. colorata, Roxb. Hort. Beng. 50 (1814). IWalaiparutti, T. 



Firniiana colorata, Br., Thw. Enum. 29. C. P. 2566. 

 Fl. B. Ind. i. 359. Roxb. Cor. PI. i. t. 25. 



A tree with thick, spreading branches, bark very smooth, 

 shining, white or purplish, papery, young parts glabrous ; 

 1. 3^-5 in., cordate at base, variable in form, ovate or more or 

 less deeply 3-lobed or deeply 5-fid., entire, lobes caudate- 

 acuminate, glabrous or with scattered stellate hairs, petioles 

 longer than 1., stip. setaceous, pubescent ; fl. polygamous, | in. 

 long, on shorter ped., in racemes 1-3 in. long appearing before 

 the 1. at the end of the branches and densely tomcntose with 

 scarlet stellate hairs ; cal. tubular, with short triangular teeth, 

 densely stellate-hairy outside, finely stellate pubescent within, 

 usually persistent ; carp, with 2 ovules ; follicles 3 in., stalked, 

 opening long before maturity, flat, leaflike, oblong-oval, veiny, 

 obtuse, greenish-pink ; seeds 2, borne on the edge of the 

 flattened carp, near the base, f in., ovoid, smooth, yellow, 

 endosperm scanty. 



On rocks in the dry region ; rather common. Trincomalie ; Nilgala ; 

 Kurunegala ; Dambulla ; Uma Oya. The C. P. specimens are from Del- 

 tota, which is out of the usual range. Fl. June, July; scarlet-orange. 



In the Indian Peninsula and Burma. 



The brilliant orange-scarlet ilowers appear when the tree is leafless, 

 and are thus very conspicuous. Mr. Nevill tells me that the Veddas call 

 it ' Kenawila ' and sing odes to it. 



The inner bark gives a fine fibre. 



6. S. Thwaitesii, i\fasi. in Fl. B. Ind. i. 361 (1874). 

 Pierygota alata, Thw. Enum. 29 (non Br.). C. P. 2963. 

 Fl. B. Ind. i. 301. 



A tall tree with straight trunk and longitudinally cracked 

 bark, young parts densely pubcrulous ; 1. 5-8 in., ovate-oblong, 

 subcordate at base, obtuse, entire, thick, glabrous and shining, 

 petioles 2 in. ; fl. small, j in., on short ped., in short rufous- 

 pubescent, racemose panicles from below the new leaves ; cal. 



