126 
FLORA OF ADEN. 
A middle-sized evergreen tree of rapid growth, heartwood small, 
dark-coloured. Leaves cordate, acuminate, entire, on both sides with 
minute peltate scales, blade 3-5, petiole 1-4 inches long. 
Flowers axillary, solitary or 2 together. Bracteoles none, or early 
deciduous. Calyx cup-shaped, truncate. Corolla yellow, passing into 
purplish pink when withering, 2 inches in diameter. Staminal tube 5- 
toothed at the apex. 
Capsule dehiseent or indehiscent. Seeds silky. 
This plant is found throughout the tropics on the beach and in tidal 
forests. In the western part of India it is largely planted as an avenue 
tree. It usually flowers throughout the year. 
IX.-STERCULIACEJS. 
Herbs, shrubs or trees, the tomentum of hairs stellate, rarely mixed 
with simple hairs. Leaves alternate or exceptionally opposite, simple 
and pinnatelv or palmately nerved, entire, toothed or lobed or digitately 
compound. Stipules sometimes absent. 
Flowers regular, hermaphrodite or unisexual. Sepals valvate, more 
or less combined into a calyx. Petals 5, hypogynous, free or adhering 
to the staminal column, contorted-imbricate in the bud or small and 
scale-like or none. Stamens usually united into a ring, a cup or a tube 
with 5 terminal teeth or lobes (staminodes) alternating with or opposite 
to the petals, and one or more anthers sessile or stipitate (on distinct fila- 
ments) in each interval, the anthers 2-celled and opening outwards by 
longitudinal slits, or exceptionally the anthers are numerous and the 
staminodes are wanting, or the stamens are 5, free and alternate with 
the sepals ©r the anther-cells confluent or opening by terminal pores. 
Ovary free, 2-5-rarely 10-1 2-celled or reduced to a single carpel. Styles 
entire or divided into as many branches as there are cells or rarely 
styles free. 
Fruit various ; seeds sometimes hairy, sometimes arillate ; testa 
coriaceous, fibrous or membranous, tegmen horny ; albumen fleshy, 
farinaceous or horny, entire or bipartite or none. Cotyledons flat or 
folded, thin or fleshy. Radicle short, near to or sometimes remote from 
the hilum. 
Genera 41 ; species about 500. 
Distribution : — Tropical regions. South Africa, Australia. 
Petals absent . • • . . . . .1. Sterculia. 
Petals present 2. Melhania. 
1. Sterculia L. 
Trees with entire or lobed leaves. 
