XXIII. STERCULIACE^. 143 



6. PTEROSPERMUM, Sohreb. 



(Winged seed.) 

 Bracteoles 3, entire or laoiniate, sometimes very deciduous or perhaps none. 

 Calyx tubular, 5-cleft, deciduous. Petals 5, often very long, deciduous. 

 Staminal column adnate to the gynophore, divided at the top into 5 linear-clavate 

 staminodia, with 3 stipitate anthers between each ,• anther-cells linear, parallel. 

 ovary sessile in the top of the column, 5-celled with several ovules in each cell. 

 Style undivided, club-shaped, and 5-furrowed at the top. Capsule woody or 

 coriaceous, ovoid or oblong, terete or angular, opening loculicidally in 5 valves. 

 Seeds ascending, produced into a wing at the top ; albumen little or none ; 

 cotyledons wrinkled or folded ; radicle inferior, rather long.— Trees or shrubs, 

 clothed with a stellate tomentum or scurfy scales. Leaves coriaceous, often 

 oblique, entire, cuneate-toothed or angled at the upper end, penninerved or 

 several-nerved at the base. Peduncles short, axillary, 1-flowered. Flowers 

 often several inches long. 



The genui3 is limited to East India and the Archipelago, the Australian species being probably 

 the same as one of the Asiatic ones. — Bentli. 



1. P. acerifolium (Maple-leaved), Willd.; W. awl Am. Prod. 69? Benth. 

 Fl. Amtr. i. 233. I have seen a fragment only in very young bud, which agrees 

 with this species in the very angular rusty- tomentose young calyx, and in the 

 bracteoles divided into narrow-linear lobes and falling off' at a very early stage. 

 There are 3 leaves only, the largest is, as in /'- acm/oHwOT, coriaceous, broad at 

 at the end, cordate at the base, nearly glabrous above, tomentose underneath, with 

 about 11 prominent nerves radiating from the petiole ; but it is much narrower 

 than usual in that species, measuring 9 by 4in. The two others are as yet not 

 half developed, but are broader in proportion, and although the specimen is 

 insufficient for identification, it shows no character to separate it from P. 

 acerifolium. — Wight, Ic. t. 631. 



Hab.: Given as a Queensland tree, because a tree was at one time growing in the Brisbane 

 Botanic Gardens, which was said to have been obtained on the southern border of the colony. 



7. MELHANIA, Forsk. 



(After Mount Melhan, in Arabia Felix.) 



Bracteoles 3, persistent. Calyx divided almost to the base into 5 segments. 

 Petals 5, persistent. Staminal cup very short, bearing 5 ligulate staminodia 

 and 5 stipitate anthers alternating with them, the anther-cells parallel. Ovary 

 sessile, 5-celled with 1 or more ovules in each cell. Style usually short, with 5 

 subulate branches, stigmatic along the inner side. Capsule opening loculicidally 

 in 5 valves. Seeds with albumen ; cotyledons folded, 2-cleft ; radicle inferior. — 

 Herbs, undershrubs, or small shrubs, softly tomentose. Leaves ovate or cordate, 

 serrate-crenate. Peduncles axillary, 1 or few-flowered. Bracteoles often exceeding 

 the calyx. Flowers yellow. 



' The genus extends over the tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World, but is most 

 abundant in Africa. The Australian species are the same as the Indian ones. The habit is that 

 of some Malvacece. — Benth. (in part). / 



Leaves scarcely toothed. Style elongate. Capsule shorter than calyx ... 1. M. incana. 

 Leaves crenate-dentate. Style short. Capsule exceeding the calyx ... 2. M. abyssinica. 



1. Dfl. incana (hoary), Heyne ; W. and Am. Prod. 68 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. i. 

 234. A rather slender shrub of 1 or several ft., hoary or white except the upper 

 side of the leaves, with a close or velvety tomentum. Leaves shortly petiolate, 

 oblong or ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, scarcely toothed, 1 to 2 or even Sin. long, 

 tomentose on both sides, or nearly glabrous above. Peduncles bearing 1, 2, or 



