194 CLASSIFICATION 



the leaves are digitate (see fig. 42) and the stamens 

 are grouped into a number of bundles, a point in 

 which they deviate from the usually monadelphous 

 character of the Order. 



The Silk-cotton tree sheds its leaves before flower- 

 ing, and the big scarlet-red flowers which they put 

 forth, and which are visible from .a great distance, 

 attract birds such as crows -and mainas, whereby 

 pollination is effected. Both the Red- and White- 

 cotton trees put forth large leaves during the mon- 

 soon, so that transpiration and hence growth go on 

 very actively. In other words, they exhibit hygro- 

 phytic characters during the monsoon. In the dry 

 season, hov/ever, they shed their leaves, so that tran- 

 spiration is reduced and growth slackens. In other 

 words, they exhibit xerophytic characters during the 

 dry season. Plants like these, which can adapt them- 

 selves to changes of season, are known as tropo- 



PHYTES. 



Most of the Malvacece are protandrous and allo- 

 gamous. The brightly-coloured petals and stigmas 

 render the flowers conspicuous. 



Nat. Order 25. Sterculiacece. — Trees or shrubs, 

 rarely climbing, inner bark fibrous, juice mucilagin- 

 ous. Leaves and stipules as in Malvacece. Flowers 

 regular, hermaphrodite, sometimes unisexual ; sepals 

 and petals as in Malvacece, occasionally petals o; 

 stamens definite, monadelphous, occasionally free, 

 anthers often with intervening staminodia; ovary of 

 2 to 5 connate carpels, often stalked; style i to 5, 

 ovules few or many in each cell; fruits dry or fleshy, 

 dehiscent or indehiscent. Seeds sometimes arillate 

 with fleshy scanty albumen. 



Abundant in the tropics. The common plants are 

 jungli-badam {Sterculia foetida), a pretty, large tree, 



