THE CHOCOLATE FAMILY 



STERCULIACE^ Ventenat 



TERCULIACE^ include about 50 genera, containing upward of 750 

 species of trees, shrubs, and herbs, widely distributed in tropical and 

 semi-tropical regions. The most important product of this family is 

 Chocolate, derived from the seed of Theobroma Cacao Linnaeus. 

 The StercuUacecB have alternate leaves which are simple or compound, entire, 

 toothed or deeply lobed, petioled and accompanied by free stipules, which fall 

 away early. The flowers are usually perfect, regular or irregular, and clustered 

 into panicles, racemes, or spikes, seldom soUtary. The 5 sepals are more or less 

 united at the base. The petals are of the same number as the sepals, or wanting. 

 The numerous stamens are variously grouped, or united into a tube, many of them 

 often being sterile; the anthers are 2-celled, facing outwardly and opening length- 

 wise. The pistil consists of 5 carpels or seldom fewer, more or less united, with 

 an equal number of styles either distinct or united. The fruit is a capsule, follicle, 

 or seldom a drupe, having few or many seeds which are variously shaped, angular, 

 or winged, smooth or hairy. 



Six genera with 8 species, all low and more or less shrubby, together with the 

 following introduced tree occur in the southern portion of the United States. 



CHINA PARASOL TREE 



GENUS FIKMIANA MARSIGLI 

 Species Firmiana platanifolia (Linnaeus) R. Brown 

 Sterculia platanifolia Linnaeus 



HIS species, also called the Japanese varnish tree, is a native of eastern 

 Asia, and was introduced into the southern States as an ornamental 

 shade-tree, where it is now naturaUzed in thickets and by roadsides 

 in Georgia and other Gulf States. It is a rapid-growing, round- 

 headed tree, up to 12 meters tall, with a smooth bark and stout soft twigs. 



The leaves are large, alternate, orbicular or renifortn in outline, i to 3 dm. 

 broad, more or less deeply 3- to 5-palmately lobed, the lobes usually blunt-pointed, 

 very hairy on the under side but comparatively smooth above, the stout leaf-stalk 

 as long as the blade or longer. . The numerous greenish flowers are borne in pan- 

 icles up to 12 dm. long; the bell-shaped calyx is composed of 5 sepals, which are 

 linear-lanceolate, 8 to 10 mm. long, reflexed and somewhat petal-like; there is no 



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