Cf. B. insigne, a large deciduous tree of S. India and Burma : flowers 9 in. diam., 

 similarly on old wood; petals scarlet, 5-6 in. ; stamens 400-fioo, with no definite 

 column, sin. ; fruit capsule 4-8 in. 



Eriodendron anfractuosum {Ceiba pcntaudra); Large deciduous tree of Trop. 

 Amer. and Malay, planted in India and Burma : stems witli prickles, leaves di"-itate : 

 flowers cream-white ; androecium in 5 segments, simulating stamens, each with 



4 twisted anthers ; Gynoecium of 5 carpels ; capsule, 3-5 in., packed with white silky 

 hairs (Kapok). 



Adansonia digitata, Baobab of Trop. Africa, cult., to 75 ft. and 20-30 ft. 

 diam.; trunk massive, water-storing, often hollow, to 1000 yrs. old, enormous 

 tap-root (100 ft. or more). Flowers large, white 6 in., with massive staminal column 

 and crown of stamens. Fruits large (8-12 in.) pendulous, indehiscent, with large 

 seeds in acid pulp, with woody fibres, eaten by natives and animals. Seeds 15 mm., 

 embryo large and much crumpled, endosperm reduced to a thin film. 



Durio zibethinus, Doorian, Malay and cult, in S. ; large fruits, to 12 in. long, 

 with soft prickles, indehiscent, offensive smell ; seeds with succulent arils as edible 

 pulp. 



CuUenia exeelsa, a large tree of VV. Ghats in damp forest, young shoots and 

 caly.K witli peltate scales. Flowers reddish-brown, ape/alous, androecium in 5 filiform 

 segments, each with about 10 pairs of anther-clusters in longitudinal series; fruit, 

 3-4 in. diam., 5-locular, densely spinous, each loculus with i large seed with a fleshy 

 white aril. Cotyledons massive. 



III. Sterculiaceae, (48/660) centred on StcrcuUa foetida of tropical coast- 

 forest: an empirical range of types distinguished from preceding by the normal 

 dithecic (4-loc.) anthers, the column rudimentary, decadent, or with alternative 

 gynandrophore region. The valvate caly.K persists, the stamens are few, the 

 gynoecium fully syncarpous, or with the carpels united only in a common style-shaft, 

 and breaking away in fruit to simulate apocarpous follicles. Extreme t}pes may 

 be apetalous and diclinous : the majority are fly-pollinated (accounting for the 

 odour). 



Pterospermum acerifolium, a tall evergreen tree of hill-forest, and planted : 

 flowers large, scented ; sepals hairy, petals white, 5-6 in., all recurved (moth- 

 pollinated) : no column, but a gynandrophore-internode (20 mm.), a group of 

 3 stamens opposite each petal, and 5 long antisep. staminodes (3 in.) and style-shaft; 



5 carpels, antipet., 5 locular. Fruit a particularly massive woody capsule (2-6 in.), 

 ripening the second season, dehiscing loculicidally, wall woody, \ in. thick ; seeds 

 numerous, with broad spinning-wing 30 mm. long. 



Theobroma Cacao, a small tree of S. Amer. (Cocoa), cult. ; flowering spurs on 

 old wood: flowers small and insignificant, 15 mm. over all, 5-parted ; column 

 rudimentary, 5 dithecic stamens with anthers sheltered in hooded tips of petals, 

 alternating with 5 slender pointed ' staminodes '. Fruit a large indehiscent capsule 

 (8-9 in.), with many large irregular seeds : endosperm scanty, large cotyledons 

 (cocoa-nibs) store fat. 



Sterculia urens, a large tree of dry deciduous forest with conspicuous silvery 

 bark. Flowers in crowded panicles with tomentum of glandular hairs, apetalous ; 

 Staminate flower with 20 stamens on a short internode. Hermaphrodite flowers (few) 

 with short gynandrophore and 4-5 carpels fused in style-shaft only. Fruit of ovoid 

 radiating follicular segments, 3 in., red internally, with ' stinging' bristles : seeds 3-6 

 per pod. 



S. villosa, a common tree in dry deciduous forest ; flowers yellow in clustered 

 drooping panicles on leafless branches: majority of flowers staminate only: caly.x 

 campanulate, hairy; anthers 10, on short internode. Follicular segments 2-5, coria- 

 ceous 3 in., red, with stiff hairs and several blue-black seeds (like Paeonia pods). 



S. (= Plerygola) alata, a very large tree of moist evergreen forest: planted: 

 calyx rusty-tomentose, gamosep. and campanulate: stamens 15, on long internode. 



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