84 XX. STEECULIACE^ [Sterculia 



Sikkira, ascending to 3,000 ft., Bhutan, Assam, Khasi hills, Burma. PI. August- 

 October, in Burma March (Kurz). Nearly allied : 12. S. laevis, Wall. Pegu and'Tenasse- 

 rim, Malay Peninsula. Petioles 1-2 in., panicles shorter, follicles narrower. 13. S. nobilis, 

 Boh. Brown. A native of China, sometimes cultivated in India, has elliptic leaves, 

 blade 5-9, petiole 1-2 in., large drooping panicles and fragrant flowers. A very re- 

 markable species of this group is 14. S. cognata, Prain. Kachin hills, Upper Burma. 

 Leaves glabrous, narrow-oblanceolate, blade 9 by 1J in. gradually narrowed into short 

 hirsute petiole, secondary nerves numerous, joined by prominent intramarginal veins, 

 panicles short, ramifications filiform, calyx segments J in. slightly pilose. 



15. S. Balanghas, Linn. ; Wight 111. t. 30 ; Trimen Handb. i. 165. 



Youngest shoots, petioles and inflorescence clothed with tawny stellate 

 pubescence. Leaves ovate or elongate-elliptic, blade 5-15, petiole 1-2 in. long. 

 Panicles 4-5 in. long. Fl. scented, greenish purple, follicles 3-4 by 1 in., shortly 

 stalked, minutely pubescent, brilliant orange-scarlet, seeds f in., ovoid, jet, 

 black, shining. 



Travancore and ghats of Tinnevelli, Ceylon, low country common. Fl. B. S. 



The following 4 species are closely allied to each other, and with S. Balanghas, with 

 which some day perhaps they may be united. 16. S. rubigrnosa, Ventenat ; King, in 

 Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, vol. 60 (1892) p. 69. Tenasserim, Malay Peninsula. A tree 

 20-50 ft., rusty-tomentose. 17. S. ensifolia, Masters ; King, I.e. p. 70. Mergui, Malay 

 Peninsula. A shrub or small tree. Leaves lanceolate or oblanceolate, caudate-acumi- 

 nate, rusty-tomentose beneath. 18. S. angustifolia, Boxb. : King, I.e. 68, Martaban, 

 Perak. A small tree, velvety rusty-tomentose. 19. S. parviflora, Boxb. ; King, I.e. 66. 

 Silhet, Andamans, Nicobar, Tenasserim, Malay Peninsula. A tree 20-50 ft., the 

 youngest shoots ferruginous-tomentose. Fl. smaller than of the preceding. 



20. S. populifolia, Boxb. ; Wall. PI. As. Bar. t. 3 ; Pierre, Fl. For. Cochinch. t. 197. 

 Hills of the Coromandel coast and throughout French Indo-China. A small tree. 

 Leaves deeply cordate, blade 3-4, petiole 2-6 in. long, basal nerves 7-9, calyx \ in., 

 follicles stalked, terminated by a membranous oblique strongly veined obtuse wing. 



B. Follicles membranous, opening soon after fertilization, long before the 

 seeds ripen. 



21. S. colorata, Eoxb. Cor. PI. t. 25 ; Brandis P. PI. 34. Vern. Bochda 

 walena, samari, Hind. ; Mutruk, Ajmere; Sisi, Kol, South. ; Khowsey, Mar. 

 Karaka, Tel. ; Wetshaw, Burm. 



A middle-sized, often a large tree, stem often fluted, wood grey, very soft 

 medullary rays broad, conspicuous, joined by transverse bars of wood paren- 

 chyma, youngest shoots clothed with grey stellate pubescence. Leaves crowded 

 at the ends of branches, shallowly 3- or 5-lobed, lobes triangular acuminate, 

 blade 6-12 in. across, petiole 3-8 in. long. Panicles numerous, erect, from 

 bright coral-red to greyish-brown, the entire inflorescence, as well as the calyx 

 covered with dense stellate tomentum. Calyx §-l£ in. long, persistent, funnel- 

 shaped, the mouth with 5 triangular teeth. Staminal column as long as, or 

 longer than calyx. Follicles 1-5, stalked, oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, membra- 

 nous, pink outside, opening long before the seeds ripen, and bearing 2 seeds 

 near the base. 



Subhimalayan tract from the Jumna eastward, ascending to 4,000 ft. Central 

 Provinces, the Peninsula, Lower and Upper Burma. Leafless during winter. Fl. 

 March, April, the young leaves generally api^ear after the flowers. Fr. June, July. 



According to some botanists, this consists of three distinct species : 



(a) S. colorata, Boxb. Western Peninsula. Adult leaves on both sides perfectly 

 glabrous, panicles bright coral red. Calyx in fl. §-§ in. long, J-i in. across at mouth. 



(a) S. fit! gens, Wall. Burma, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java. Full grown leaves 

 harsh beneath with dense minute stellate pubescence. Panicles orange or dull yellow, 

 calyx in fl. 1J-1A in. long, i in. across. 



(c) S. pattens, Wall. (Khardala, N. W.). Subhimalayan tract. Branchlets, petioles 

 and under side of adult leaves more or less densely velvety, upper side pubescent or 

 glabrous. Panicles and calyx greyish brown, calyx in fl. §— § in. long and J-J across 

 at mouth. 



22. S. scapnigera, Wall. ; Kurz, F. Fl. i. 140. Burma, Cochinchina, Malay Archi- 

 pelago, Sumatra. A tall deciduous glabrous tree. Leaves ovate, blade 5-10, petiole 2-5 



