STERCULIA 



follicular, each carpel distinct and either woody or 

 membranaceous and sometimes opening and spreading 

 into a leaf-like body long before maturity (Fig. 2399): 

 seeds 1-many, sometimes arillate or winged, sometimes 

 hairy. Sterculias have very various foliage, the leaves 

 of different species being simple, palmately lobed or 

 digitate. The flowers are mostly in panicles or large 

 clusters, sometimes large and showy, varying from 

 greenish to dull red and scarlet. The species are grown 

 mostly for street and lawn trees. The only kinds that 

 are generally known in this country are S. plalaiiifolia, 

 S. diversifolia and S. acerifolla, the last two known in 

 California as Brachychitons. All are easily grown from 

 seeds. Sterculiaceous plants are allied to the Malvaceae. 



STEREOSPERMUJI 



1723 



A. Carpels expanduuj before maturity \ 

 bodies, exposing the seeds. 



platanifdlia, Linn. f. (Firmidna platanifolia, Schott 

 &Endl.). Japanese Varnish Tree. Chinese Parasol 

 Tree. Fig. 2399. Strong-growing, smonth-harked, 

 round-headed tree of medium size, with .l.-.'i.liimi<! f.^li- 

 age: Ivs. very large, glabrous, cnr 1.1 - m. i.n-ul.n-, in,!. 

 mately 3-5-lobed like maple h-.,, ., i. ! m 

 pointed: fls. small, greenish, with i' 

 in terminal panicles: carpels 4 ■n- :.. : m: lI-Iii!;!! 

 pea-like seeds. — Said to hv ii;iti\r <if < lina mid .Tiijian. 

 Hemsley admits it to the "I'lmM .a' i li 

 says in "Forest Flora of .Liiuii " th.i 

 several Chinese or Corr.-m tn-rs l 

 Bentham, in "Flora Honykonseusis,' 

 native to China. Franchet and Savatier, in " Enumeratio 

 Plantarum Japonicanini," admit it as an indigenous 

 Japanese species. Now a frequent tree from Georgia 

 south. Excellent for lawns and shade. 



AA. Carpels not becoming leaf-like. 

 B. Lvs. all digitately compound. 



fffitida, Linn. Tall, handsome tree, with all parts gla- 

 brous except the young foliage : lvs. crowded at the ends 



leaf-like 



ii:i." and Sargent 

 it is one of the 



[■own in Japan, 

 says that it is 



of the branchlets, of 5-11 elliptic, oblong or lanceolate, 

 entire, pointed, thick leaflets: fls. large, dull red, in 

 simple I'T branched racemes, appearing with the lvs.: 

 fr. large and woody follicles, glabrous outside, often 

 3 in. or more in diam. and containing black seeds the 

 size of a hazelnut. Tropical Africa and Asia to Aus- 

 tralia.— Grown in southern Florida. In its native coun- 

 tries, the seeds are said to be roasted and eaten. 



BB. Lvs. entire or only lobed {compound forms some- 

 times borne on S. diversifolia). 

 c. Follicles pubescent otitside and corky inside. 



al&ta, Roxbr. Large tree, the young parts yellow- 

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

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

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

 the leafless axils, the calyx tomentose and the segments 

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

 wide-winged seeds. India.— Introd. into S. Florida. 

 cc. Follicles glabrous on the outside, usually villous 

 within. 



acerifdlia. A. Cunn. (BrachychUon acerifdliiim, F. 

 Muell.). Brachychiton. Flame Tree. Evergreen 

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

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

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

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

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

 tralia.— A most showy tree when in bloom, and planted 

 on streets and lawns in California. Thrives in either 

 dry or fairly moist places. 



diversiJfilia, G. Don {BrachychUon popiUneum, R.Br. ). 

 Brachychiton. Tall tree, glabrous except the fls.: 

 lvs. very various, mostly ovate to uvate-hmceolate in 

 outline, often entire, sometimr- \ ni -u-ly ,; r.lobed on 

 the same tree, all parts acuniii: ' ntose when 



young, bell-shaped, greenisli n , ; r yellowish 



white, in axillary panicles: foUinr. i- ..m. i.ijif;, ovoid, 

 glabrous, stalked. Australia. — I'laiiifd ui California, 

 and commoner than the last. 



V'ar. occidentUis, Benth. {Brachychiton Gr^gorii, 

 F. Muell. S. Grigorii,Hort.}. Lvs. deeply 3-lobed, the 

 lobes narrow, sometimes with short lateral ones : fls. 

 salmon-color; calyx smaller and more tomentose. West 

 Australia. -Offered iu S. California. l. h. B. 



STEEEOSPfiRMUM (Greek; hard seed). Bigno- 

 nidcea'. About 10 species of tropical trees native to 

 Asia and Africa, of which 2 are cult, n S. Fla. and 

 S. Calif. They have handsome foliage, which is once 

 or twice pinnate, and large bignonia-Iike flowers of 

 p;il. .' II i\\ .r I :fl,. rose, borne in large, lax, terminal 

 pan I "id, open or closed in the bud; corolla- 



l.ili' . ' jial, round, crisped, toothed or lacin- 



iatc-: ;i|i-iii> iMi, J, terete, loculicidally 2-valved; seeds 



,S7( rio.'<pcr>HU)n tiinieum seems to revel in the light 

 sandy soil of the Florida gardens. Its abundant, large, 

 fern-like, crimped bipinnate foliage and its luxuriant 

 symmetrical growth combine to make it an object of 

 great beauty. It grows to a height of 10 to 12 ft. in one 

 season, and if not cut down by a severe freeze it attains 

 a height of 20 ft. in two years, provided the soil is 

 made rich by a good fertilizer. Planted out in a con- 

 -rr\a(Mix in the North it soon reaches stately dimen- 

 Ii is easily raised from cuttings placed in sand. 

 'iriis lacks the elegance of its congener, and it 



,1." -[.rout as readily after it has been frozen down. 



A. Foliage twice-pinnate: fls. pale yellow. 



Sinicum, Hance. Tree, said to attain 60 ft. : lvs. oppo- 

 site, bipinnate; pinnEB about 4 pairs, each pinna with 

 about 7 Ifts. ; Ifts. ovate-lanceolate, 2 x % in. : corolla 

 pale sulfur, 3 in. long; lobes 1 in. long, somewhat 

 crisped. Hong Kong. 



AA. Foliage once-pinnate: fls. 2}ale or dark purple. 



Buav^olens, DC. Tree, 30-60 ft; high: lvs. 12-18 in. 

 long: Ifts. 7-9, broadly elliptic, acuminate or acute, 5% 

 x3 in.: panicle many-fld., viscous, hairy: fls. IH in. 

 long; lobes crisped-crenate. India. 



H. Nehrling and W. M. 



