Sterculiaceae

Latin name: Sterculiaceae

English name: SterculiaFamily

Introduction:

Trees or shrubs, rarely herbs or lianas; often covered with stellate hairs; stem bark rich in fibers, often with mucilage. Leaves simple, rarely palmately compound, alternate, rarely subopposite, stipules caducous. Inflorescences axillary, rarely terminal, paniculate, cymose, racemose, or corymbose, rarely flowers solitary; flowers unisexual, polygamous, or bisexual; sepals 5 (3-4), slightly connate or free, valvate; petals 5 or absent, free or basally connate with the androgynophore, imbricate; stamens 5 or numerous, filaments often connate into a tube, ligulate or linear staminodes 5 (10), opposite the sepals, or staminodes absent, anthers 2-locular, longitudinally dehiscent; ovary superior, 5 (2-12)-locular, carpels connate or appressed, each locule with 2 (1) or numerous anatropous ovules. Capsule or follicle, rarely a berry or drupe.

68 genera, about 1100 species, distributed in the tropics and subtropics, with a few species reaching the temperate zone. China has 19 genera, 82 species, mainly produced in South China and Southwest China, of which 6 genera and 9 species are introduced and cultivated. Mostly timber and specially used economic tree species.