STERCULIA 



STEREOSPERMUM 



1723 



foUicnilar, each carpel distiuot and either woody or 

 luouibrauafeous and sometimes t>penin,:,'' and spreadiniC 

 iuro a leaf-like body lony: before maturity (Fif,^ 2;U)9) ; 

 seeds 1-mauy, sometimes arillate ov winded, sometimes 

 hairy. Stereulius have very various fuliajtfe, the leaves 

 of ditt'erent species being simple, palmately iobed or 

 di,i;itate. 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 ^'. pJaiit iiifoUa . 

 S. (lit'ffitifofia and ^. avert foUa , t\n^ last two known in 

 California as Brachychitons. All are easily grown from 

 seeds. Sterculiaceous plants are allied tit the Malvacca.-. 



2399. Mature follicles or fruits of StercuUa platanifolia. bear- 

 ing seeds on the margins. Natund size. 



A. Carpel'! exp'iudinq Jx^fore hutfiirifii info leaf-like 

 bodus, fxpt-shnj th<- s.ols. 



plataniSblia, Linn. f. {Firini>)iia platanifolia , Schott 

 ifcEndl.), Japanese Vakxish Tree. Chinese Parasol 

 Tkee. Fig. 2:Jil'J. Strong-growing, smooth-barked. 

 round-headed tree of medium size, with deciduous foli- 

 age: Ivs. very large, glabrous, cordate-orbicnlar, pal- 

 m'ately 3-5-lo"bed like maple Ivs., the lobes shaqi- 

 pointed; tls. small, greenish, with reflexed calyx-lobes, 

 in terminal panicles: carpels 4 or 5, bearing globuhir 

 pea-like seeds. — Said to be native of China and Japan. 

 Hemsley admits it to the "Flora of China," and Sargent 

 says in "Forest Flora of Japan" that it is one of the 

 several Chinese or Corean trees grown in Jai-an. 

 Bentham, in "Flora Hongkongensis," says that it is 

 native to China. Franchet and Savatier, in'"Ennmeratio 

 Plantarum Japonicanim," admit it as an indis:enous 

 Japanese spei-ies. Now a frequent tree from Georgia 

 south. Excellent for lawns and shade. 



AA. Carpels not becoming leaf-like. 

 B. Lrs. all diiiitatehj compontuJ. 



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

 brous except the young foliage; Ivs. crowded at tlie ends 



of the brancblets, of ,V11 .-lliiitic. obi 

 entire, pointed, thick lealiets: lis. I 

 simple <.'r bran(died raccnies, ajijiear 

 fr. hir.Lre and wu.idy fnlliclcs, -htbr^ 

 :i in. or more in diam. and containin 



m^^ or lanceolate, 

 nrL;^^ <hdl red, in 

 ng with the Ivs. : 

 lus outsi<le, often 

 X, black seeds the 



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

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

 tries, the seeds are said to be roaste<l an<l eaten. 



',/H>a>Hl form 

 ■6>fvlnn. 



BB. Les. ,'nlir'' or only lohal {<■ 

 li itu-s tionie VII -S'. dii 

 (.'. Follichs piihtsrt'iil 'inl.sidt' and corki/ inside. 



alata, Koxbr. Large tree, the young parts yellow- 

 pubescent, the bark ash-colored : l\s. large, cord at e- 

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

 tld. panicles shorter than the Ivs., an<l which arise from 

 the leafless axils, the calyx tomentose and the segments 

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

 wide-winded seeds. India. — introd. into S. Florida. 



Follii'Ies glabrous o). 



tin- 

 'thi> 



7/.S' 



Hollij riJIoKS 



acerifdlia, 'A. Cunn. {Brarlnp-li'ttou artri folium, F. 

 Muell.J. Bkachvchiton. Flame '1i;ee. Evergreen 

 tree, reaching a height of 00 ft., glaln-ous: Ivs. long- 

 petioled, large, deeply .VTdobed, the lolies oblong- 

 lanceolate to rlujmboid, t;Iabrous and shining: Us. bril- 

 liant scarlet, the calyx about ;^t in. long, in large, showy 

 trusses: follicles larii;e. i^lalirous, hnig-staiked. Aus- 

 tralia.— A most showy tret- when in bloom, and ■|:danted 

 on streets and lawns in California. Thrives in either 

 dry or fairly moist places. 



diversifblia, G. DoniBracliiidi'ilon populnimm. K.Br. ). 

 Bkachychitun. Tall tree, glabrous except the lis.: 

 Ivs. very various, mostly ovate to o\"ati'-lanceolate in 

 outline, often entire, sometimes variously .'-!-5-lobed on 

 the same tree, all parts acuminate: ds. tomentose when 

 young, bell-shaped, greenish red and white or yellowish 

 white, in axillary i-anicles : follicles l'^ ■!-.'> in. lon.tr, ovoid, 

 glabrous, stalked. Australia.- Planted in California, 

 and commoner than the last. 



Var. occident^lis, Benth. {Braclnjeirttou Gregorii. 

 F. .AUiell. N. O'n'iP'rii, Hort.). Lvs. deei-ly ;Mobed, the 

 lol.ies narroAV, srimi.dimes with short lateral ones : tls. 

 salmon-color; calyx smalh-r and more tomentose. \\'est 

 Australia.— Ofl'ered in y. California. l_ jj_ pj_ 



STEREOSPfiRMTTM ((Treek; hard seed). Bigao- 

 ■nidrva:. About 10 species of tropical trees native to 

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

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

 or twice pinnate, and large bignonia-Iike tlowers of 

 pale yellow or pale rose, borne in laruc. lax. terminal 

 panicles; calyx ovoid, open or closed in the bud; corolia- 

 lobes 5, nearly equal, round, crispe<l, tnothcd or lacin- 

 iate: capsule long, terete, loculicidally :2-valved; see<ls 

 in 1 or 2 series. 



St<r(i>sp''r}n 11)11 .Siniram seems to revel in the li,u:ht 

 sandy soil of the FIori<la gardens. Its abundant, lai'iie. 

 fern-like, crimped bipinnate foliage and its luxuriaul 

 symmetrical growth cond_dne to nudce 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 attain-^ 

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

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

 servatory in' the North it soon reaches stately dimen- 

 sions. It is easily raised from cuttings tilaced in sand. 

 iS'. sa<i rc'drus larks the eleirance of its conirener, and it 

 does not sprout as readily after it has been frozen d^iwn. 



A. Foliage twir.-pi nnate: fls. put-' ifclloic. 

 Sinicum, Hance. Tree, said to attain On ft.: Ivs. o])].o- 

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

 ab'.'ut 7 Ifts.; Ifts. ovate-lanceolate, 2x 'U ni.: comlla 

 pale sulfur, 3 in. lon.i;; lobes 1 iiL long, somewhat 

 crisped. Hong Kong. 



AA. Foliage onee-pinnafe: fls. j>ale or dark purple. 



suaveolens, DC Tree, 30-00 ft. hi^'h: lvs. r2-lS in. 

 long: Ifts. 7-9, broadly elliptic, acuminate or acute, 0^2 

 x3 in.: panicle many-tld., vismus, hairy: tls. 1^4 in. 

 long; lobes crisped-crenate. India. 



H. Nehklin(.: and W. .^L 



