STERCULIACE^E. I. STERCULIA. 



515 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



1 STERCU LIA. Flowers polygamous or monoecious. Stamens 

 monadelphous ; anthers 10-20 in one or two series, solitary or 

 ternately aggregate. Carpels 5, distinct, stipitate, legume- 

 formed, 1 or many-seeded, opening on the upper side. 



2 TRI'PHACA. Flowers monoecious. Stamens 15, monadel- 

 phous. Style 1. Carpels 3, legume-formed, many-seeded. 



3 REEVE' SIA. Flowers hermaphrodite. Stamens monadel- 

 phous. Anthers 15, sessile on the top of the tube. Capsule 

 stipitate, 5-celled, 5-valved ; cells 2-seeded ; seeds winged at 

 the base. 



4 HERETIE'RA. Flowers monoecious. Stamens monadelphous ; 

 anthers 1 0, sessile on the top of the tube. Carpels 5, at length 

 drupaceous, and carinately-winged, indehiscent ; 1 -seeded from 

 abortion. 



I. STERCITLIA (from Sterculius, a god, derived from ster- 

 cus. The Romans, in the height of Paganism have deified 

 the objects of their greatest dislike, and the most immoral actions. 

 They have the gods Sterculius Crepitus, and the goddesses 

 Caca and Pertunda, &c. The flowers as well as the leaves of 

 some species are fetid.) Lin. gen. no. 1086. D. C. prod. 1. 

 p. 481. 



LIN. SYST. Monoecia, Monadelphia. Calyx 5-lobed, some- 

 what coriaceous. Stamens monadelphous, disposed in a short 

 sessile, or stipitate urceolus. Anthers adnate, 10-15-20 in one 

 or two rows, solitary, or ternately-aggregate. Ovary stipitate 

 or sessile. Carpels follicular, 5, or fewer from abortion, distinct, 

 1 -celled, 1 or many-seeded, opening on the upper side; seeds 

 disposed in 2 series, along the suture of the carpels. Seeds with, 

 fleshy albumen, and flat, leafy, equal cotyledons. Trees with 

 simple or compound leaves and axillary panicles or racemes of 

 flowers. This genus requires to be divided into other genera 

 or sections according to the fructification, but as many of the 

 species are not sufficiently known, they are here disposed artifi- 

 cially. 



1 . Leaves ovate or oblong, entire, or rarely 3-lobed. 



1 S. BLU'MII ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, obtusely acuminated, 

 quite entire, smooth ; racemes simple ; calycine segments con- 

 nected at the apex ; carpels ovate. Jj . S. Native of Java. 

 S. lanceolata, Blume, bijdr. ex. Schlecht. Linnaea. 1. p. 654. 



Blume Sterculia. Tree 20 feet. 



2 S. LANCEOLA V TA (Cav. diss. 5. p. 287. t. 144. f. 1.) leaves 

 quite entire, smooth ; racemes simple ; calycine segments 

 spreading; carpels few-seeded. fj . G. Native of China. Lindl. 

 bot. reg. 1256. Carpels oblong, crimson. Seeds black. Flowers 

 reddish-brown, stellate, in small, axillary panicles. Leaves ovate- 

 lanceolate. This differs from the preceding species in the sepals 

 being spreading, not cohering at the base. 



Lanceolate-\ea.\ed Sterculia. Tree 20 feet. 



3 S. BALA'NGHAS (Lin. spec. 1438. excl. syn. Rumph.) leaves 

 elliptic-oblong, bluntish, entire, nearly smooth ; flowers panicled ; 

 segments of calyx linear, cohering at the apex ; carpels ovate or 

 obovate, many-seeded. Tj S. Native of Malabar and Java. 

 Cavalam, Rheed. mal. 1. t. 49. S. Balanghas, Cav. diss. 5. p. 

 286.1.143. Lois. herb. amer. t. 843. Balanghas dicta, Burm. 

 zeyl. 84. Flowers purplish. According to Rumphius the 

 seeds are considered as esculent by the inhabitants of Amboyna, 

 who roast them for this purpose, while the capsules are burned 

 for the preparation of the pigment called cassoumba. 



Balanghas Sterculia. Fl. June, Sept. Clt. 1787. Tree 

 30 feet. 



4 S. NO'BILIS (Smith, in Rees' cyclop, no. 4.) leaves elliptic- 

 oblong, entire, smooth ; segments of calyx linear, cohering at 

 the apex ; carpels ovate, mucronate, 1 -4-seeded. Tj . S. Na- 

 tive of China. S. monosperma, Vent. malm. t. 91. S. Balanghas, 

 Ait. hort. kew. ed. 2. vol. 5. p. 338. Southwellia nobilis, Sal. 

 par. lond. t. 69. exclusive of the synonymes. Flowers panicled, 

 pale buff-coloured, with the odour of Vanilla. Seed black. 



Noble Sterculia. Clt. 1787. Tree 20 feet. 



5 S. ACUMINA'TA (Beauv. fl. d'ow. 1. t. 24.) leaves oblong- 

 acuminated, quite entire, smooth, on long stalks ; flowers in axil- 

 lary panicles; anthers in two rows, sessile ; carpels 1 -2-seeded. 

 Tj . S. Native of the tropical parts of Africa, particularly on 

 the western coast. Flowers white, with spreading segments. 

 Carpels usually 2, opposite from abortion. There are two 

 varieties of the Cola, one with white, the other with reddish 

 seeds. The seeds are about the size of horse-chesnuts. 



The seeds of this species are known throughout tropical 

 Africa by the name of Cola or Kola. They have long been 

 celebrated by voyagers as possessing a high degree of value 

 among the natives of Guinea, who take a portion of one of 

 them before each of their meals, for they believe them to en- 

 hance the flavour of any thing they may subsequently eat or 

 drink. The seeds formerly were said to be held in such high 

 estimation among the natives of Guinea, that 50 of them were 

 sufficient to purchase a wife, but at present 20 or 30 seeds can 

 be purchased for a handful of cowries, while 2 or 3 tons of cowries 

 would not purchase a perfect female at the present day. We have 

 eaten the seeds, they have a very bitter taste ; they are about the 

 size of a pigeon's egg, of a brownish colour ; they are supposed 

 to possess the same properties as Peruvian-bark. 



Acuminated-leaved. Sterculia or Cola. Clt. 1795. Tr. 40 ft. 



6 S. MACROCA'RPA ; leaves oblong, acuminate, entire, smooth, 

 on long stalks ; flowers axillary, panicled ; anthers in two rows, 

 sessile? carpels 4-C- seeded. Tj . S. Native of Guinea. Flowers 

 white. Pods generally 2 from abortion, opposite. The seeds 

 of this tree are also known under the name of Cola in Guinea ; 

 they possess the same qualities as those of Sterculia acuminata. 



Long-fruited Cola. Tree 40 feet. 



7 S. LONGIFOLIA (Vent. malm. no. 91. in adn.) leaves ovate- 

 oblong, smooth, quite entire ; flowers panicled, terminal ; seg- 

 ments of calyx erect, hairy on the inside. Tj . S. Native of 

 the East Indies. Flowers white from down. Fruit unknown. 



Long-leaved Sterculia. Tree 20 feet. 



8 S. RUBIGINOSA (Vent. malm. no. 91. adn.) leaves oblong, 

 acuminated, smooth above, but clothed with rusty tomentum be- 

 neath ; racemes simple, tomentose ; segments of calyx conniving 

 at the apex ; carpels acuminate, many-seeded, wrinkled, and 

 naked on the inside. Jj . S. Native of Java. This tree, 

 according to Smith, is the same as S. Balanghas of Cav. 



Rusted-lezved. Sterculia. Tree 20 feet. 



9 S. PUBE'SCENS ; leaves oval-oblong, cordate at the base, 

 entire, rarely tricuspidate at the apex, covered with rusty down 

 beneath, as well as the petioles and young branches, on long 

 stalks ; flowers in panicles, axillary, crowded ; segments of calyx 

 cohering at the apex ; carpels 4-5, pubescent, 4-5-seeded. 

 Tj . S. Native of Guinea. S. tragacantha, Lindl. bot. reg. 

 1363. Resembles S. Balanghas. Flowers greenish-red from 

 down. Seeds small, red. There is a gum collected from this tree 

 resembling gum tragacanth in its properties, but it is probable 

 that many of the species have the same kind of substance, as it 

 seems nothing more than the concrete state of the mucilage 

 which is so universal in this order and the two preceding. 



Downy-leaved Sterculia. Clt. 1793. Tree 20 feet. 



10 S. GRANDiFLO^ftA (Vent. malm. no. 91. in a note.) leaves 

 3 u 2 



