332 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 



crowning the staminal tube are considered to represent the 

 outer whorl of stamens. 



The larger flowers are much frequented by sugar-birds, 

 which sip the honey on the wing. The fact that the birds 

 seldom light on the flowers may account for the fact that these 

 obliquely hanging flowers are so nearly regular. The smaller 

 herbaceous flowers, like those of Siffa, have short stamen tubes, 

 and stigmas that can curve over and help themselves to the 

 pollen which ripens with the stigmas (cf. Geraniaceae and 

 Composite). 



Order STERCULIACE^E. 



Flowers regular. Calyx lobes united, valvate. Petals 5, 

 convolute. Stamens monadelphous (sometimes merely joined at 

 the base). The outer whorl staminodial or absent. Ovary 

 superior, of i, 2, or 5 carpels. Fruit capsule, or indehiscent. 

 Flowers in cymes, with no epicalyx. 



Trees, shrubs, or herbs with alternate stipulate leaves. The order is 

 closely related to Malvacea, from which it may be known by the 2-celled 

 anthers. Theobroma, from which chocolate is derived, belongs to this 

 order. 



A. flowers imperfect petals none. 



Cola. Staminate flowers with 10-12 sessile anthers in a 

 ring. Pistillate with a five carpelled ovary and abortive 

 stamens ; seeds numerous, ex-albuminous. Leaves entire. 



C. Natalensis. (Kafir Umtenenenda, a tree in East Pondo- 

 land.) From trees on the West Coast seeds are used in 

 preparing "Coco-Kola". 



Sterculia. Calyx coloured, downy on both sides ; sta- 

 minal column bearing many scattered extrorse anthers. Car- 

 pels 5, seeds many, albuminous. 



Trees with palmately compound leaves, found at Uitenhage 

 and the Transvaal. 



AA. Flmvers perfect, petals present, staminodia alternating 

 with the stamens. 



Dombeya. A 3-leaved, i -sided, deciduous involucre 

 subtends the flowers. Calyx bending back as the flowers 



