STERCULIA 



STEREOSPERMUM 



3239 



c. Surfaces of blade, at least the lower, 

 tomentose or pubescent. 



D. Fls. yellowish white 3. apetala 



DD. Fls. red 4. Bidwillii 



cc. Surfaces of blade glabrous. 



D. Calyx tubular, the tube much 



longer than the lobes 5. colorata 



DD. Calyx broadly campanulate, 

 deeply lobed. 



E. Fls. glabrous 6. acerifolia 



EE. Fls. tomentose, at least outside. 

 F. Follicles globose, about 5 



in. diam 7. alata 



FF. Follicles otoid, 1-3 in. long. 



G. Lrs. orate or orate-lan- 



ceolate, sometimes 



more or less 3-, rarely 



6-lobed or -parted 8. diversifolia 



GO. L v a . oblong-linear o r 

 lanceolate, sometimes 

 6-9-digitate, parted on 

 some branches 9. rupestris 



1. platanifolia, Linn. f. (Firmiana plantanifolia, 

 Schott <t Endl.). JAPANESE VARNISH TREE. CHINESE 

 PARASOL TREE. Fig. 3691. Strong-growing, smooth- 

 barked, round-headed tree of medium size, with decidu- 

 ous foliage: Ivs. very large, glabrous, cordate-orbicular, 

 palmately 3-5-lobed like maple Ivs., the lobes sharp- 

 pointed: fls. small, greenish, with reflexed calyx- 

 lobes, in terminal panicles: carpels 4 or 5, bearing globu- 

 lar pea-like seeds. Said to be native of China and 

 Japan. Hemsley admits it to the Flora of China, and 

 Sargent says in Forest Flora of Japan that it is one of 

 the several Chinese or Korean trees grown in Japan. 

 Bentham, in Flora Hongkongensis, says that it is 

 native to China. Franchet and Savatier, in Enumeratio 

 Plantarum Japonicarum, admit it as an indigenous 

 Japanese species. Now a frequent tree from Ga. south. 

 Hardy also at Washington, D. C. Excellent for lawns 

 and shade. A peculiarity of this tree is that before 

 maturing the frs. are filled with a brownish black fluid 

 which when the pods burst is liberated. Var. variegata, 

 Hort., has Ivs. variegated with 



creamy white. Intro, into Calif. 



2. fcetida, Linn. Tall, hand- 

 some tree, with all parts gla- 

 brous except the j'oung foliage: 

 Ivs. crowded at the ends of jthe 

 branchlets, of 5-11 elliptic, ob- 

 long or lanceolate, entire, pointed, 

 thick Ifts.: fls. large, dull red, in 

 simple or branched racemes, 

 appearing with the Ivs. : fr. large 

 and woody follicles, glabrous 

 outside, often 3 in. or more in 

 diam. and containing black seeds 

 the size of a hazelnut. Trop. Afr. 

 and Asia to Austral. Grown in 

 S. Fla. In its native countries 

 the seeds are said to be roasted 

 and eaten. 



3. apetala, Karst (S. cartha- ^ Mature follicles 

 ffinensis.Cav. Hehcteres apetala, ^^ of Sterculia 

 Jacq.). Tree, about 40 ft. high: platanifolia, bearing 

 Ivs. cordate - rounded, usually seeds on the margins, 

 more than 1 ft. diam., 5- (-3-) (XH) 



lobed to the middle, glabrous 



above, velvety beneath, lobes elliptical, obtuse, or 

 oblong: fls. yellowish white with purple spote, about 

 %in. across. Mex., Cent. Amer., and Colombia; intro. 

 into Jamaica and Fla. 



4. Bidwillii, Hook. (Brachychiton Bidirtilii, Hook.). 

 Shrub or tree, softly pubescent or tomentose all over: 

 Ivs. usually deeply 3-lobed. green, soft-villous on both 

 sides, lobes acuminate: calvx narrow tubular-cam- 

 panulate, 1-1} 2 in. long, red." Austral. B.M. 5133. 



5. colorata, Roxbg. Large tree, bark ashy: Ivs. 

 roundish, 5-9 x 5-12 in., glabrescent, palmately 3^-9- 

 lobed, lobes triangular, acuminate, base cordate; petiole 

 4-9 in. long: panicle terminal, many-fld.; pedicels cov- 

 ered with orange-red tomentum: calyx %in. across, 

 tubular, clavate, orange-downy outside, pilose within: 

 follicles 2-3 in. long, stipitate, glabrous, membranous. 

 India. Intro, into Calif . 



6. acerifdlia, A. Cunn. (Brachychiton acerifblium, F. 

 Muell.). BRACHYCHITON. FLAME TREE. Evergreen 

 tree, reaching a height of 60 ft., glabrous: Ivs. long- 

 petioled, large, deeply 5-7-lobed, the lobes oblong- 

 lanceolate to rhomboid, glabrous and shining: fls. bril- 

 liant scarlet, the calyx about %in. long, in large, showy 

 trusses: follicles large, glabrous, long-stalked. Austral. 

 A most showy tree when in bloom, and planted on 

 streets and lawns in Calif. Thrives in either dry or 

 fairly moist places. (See also page 538.) 



7. alata, Roxbg. Large tree, the voung parts yellow- 

 pubescent, the bark ash-colored: Ivs. large, cordate- 

 ovate, acute, 7-nerved: fls. about 1 in. across, in few- 

 fld. panicles shorter than the Ivs., and which arise from 

 the leafless axils, the calyx tomentose and the segms. 

 linear-lanceolate : follicles 5 in. diam., globose, with wide- 

 winged seeds. India. Intro, into S. Fla. 



8. diversifdlia, Don (Brachychiton poptilneum, R. 

 Br.). BRACHYCHITON. Tall tree, glabrous except the 

 fls. : Ivs. very various, mostly ovate to ovate-lanceolate 

 in outline, often entire, sometimes variously 3-5-lobed 

 on the same tree, all parts acuminate: fls. tomentose 

 when young, bell-shaped, greenish red and white or 

 yellowish white, in axillary panicles: follicles lJ^-3 in. 

 long, ovoid, glabrous, stalked. Austral. Planted in 

 Calif., and commoner than the last. (Page 538.) 



Var. occidentalis, Benth. (Brachychiton Gregorii, 

 F. Muell. S. Gregorii, Hort.). Lvs. deeply 3-lobed, the 

 lobes narrow, sometimes with short lateral ones: fls. 

 salmon-color; calyx smaller and more tomentose. W. 

 Austral. Offered in S. Calif. 



9. rupestris, Benth. (Delabkchea rupistris, Lindl.). 

 BOTTLE-TREE. Considerable tree: trunk often swelling 

 out to a large size, contracted top and bottom: Ivs. 

 glabrous, either quite entire and oblong-linear or lan- 

 ceolate, 3-6 in. long, or digitate, consisting of 5-9 linear- 

 lanceolate, sessile Ifts. often above 6 in. long: calyx 

 about 4 lines long, campanulate, tomentose both inside 

 and out: follicles ovoid, acuminate, about 1 in. long, 

 on stalks longer than themselves. Austral. 



S. acuminata, Beauy.=Cola acuminata. S. RusseQiana, Hort., 

 is said to be an aralia-like plant with the main st. and petioles light 

 green and the narrow divisions of the If. very dark green. Offered 

 in the trade but not known botanically. 



F. TRACY HuBBAHD.f 



STEREOSPERMUM (Greek, hard seed). Bignonia- 

 cfx. About 12 species of tropical evergreen trees in 

 Afr. and E. India, with handsome once- or twice-pin- 

 nate foliage and large bignonia-like fls., pale yellow or 

 rose-colored to purple, in large and loose terminal 

 panicles; calyx campanulate, 2-5-lobed or 5-toothed; 

 corolla funnelform-campanulate, with round crisped or 

 toothed lobes; stamens 4, included; disk cupulate: caps, 

 terete or 4-angled, 2-valved; seeds in 2 rows, with the 

 thick nutlets deeply impressed in the thick spongy 

 septum. Only the following species seems to be in cult. 

 S. suaveolens, DC. Tree, 30-60 ft,: Ivs. simply pin- 

 nate, 12-18 in. long; Ifts. 7-9, broadly elliptic, acumi- 

 nate or acute, entire or serrulate, hairy while young, 

 about 5 in. long: panicle many-fld., viscous-pubescent: 

 calyx campanulate, with 3-5 short lobes; corolla 1}^ in. 

 long, pale or dark purple, puberulous outside, with 

 crenately crisped lobes: caps. .18 in. long. India. 

 Adapted for tropical or subtropical regions only and 

 prop, by seeds or cuttings, also by air-layering. 



S. sinicum, Hance=Radermachia sinica- 



ALFRED REHDER. 



