Sterculia

Sterculia is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae: subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae). Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts. Sterculia may be monoecious or dioecious, and its flowers unisexual or bisexual.
Taxonomy
Phylogeny
A 27-million-year-old †Sterculia labrusca leaf fossil is described from the Evros region in Western Thrace, Greece.
Species
Plants of the World Online includes the following accepted species:
Sterculia abbreviata E.L.Taylor ex Mondragón
Sterculia aberrans Tardieu
Sterculia acuminatissima Merr.
Sterculia aerisperma Cuatrec.
Sterculia africana (Lour.) Fiori – Mopopaja tree
Sterculia albidiflora Ducke
Sterculia alexandri Harv. – Cape sterculia
Sterculia allenii E.L.Taylor ex Al.Rodr. & D.Santam.
Sterculia amazonica E.L.Taylor ex Mondragón
Sterculia ampla Baker f.
Sterculia apeibophylla Ducke
Sterculia apetala (Jacq.) H.Karst. – Panama tree; manduvi tree
Sterculia appendiculata K.Schum.
Sterculia backeri Tantra
Sterculia balanghas L.
Sterculia bammleri K.Schum.
Sterculia blumei G.Don
Sterculia bolavenensis Tagane & Soulad.
Sterculia bracteata Gagnep.
Sterculia brevissima H.H.Hsue ex Y.Tang, M.G.Gilbert & Dorr
Sterculia campaniflora Ridl.
Sterculia caribaea R.Br.
Sterculia carrii Tantra
Sterculia ceramica R.Br.
Sterculia chapelieri Baill.
Sterculia cheekii Dorr
Sterculia chlamydothyrsa Mildbr.
Sterculia chrysodasys Miq.
Sterculia cinerea A.Rich.
Sterculia cochinchinensis Pierre Trôm nam in Vietnam
Sterculia cognata Prain
Sterculia colombiana Sprague
Sterculia comorensis Baill.
Sterculia comosa Wall.
Sterculia conwentzii K.Schum.
Sterculia cordata Blume
Sterculia corrugata Little
Sterculia costaricana Pittier
Sterculia crassinervia Miq.
Sterculia cuneifolia Miq.
Sterculia curiosa (Vell.) Taroda
Sterculia cuspidata R.Br.
Sterculia dactylocarpa Warb.
Sterculia darbyshirei Tantra
Sterculia dasyphylla A.C.Sm.
Sterculia dawei Sprague
Sterculia duckei E.L.Taylor ex J.A.C.Silva & M.F.Silva
Sterculia edelfeltii F.Muell.
Sterculia ellipticifolia Fosberg
Sterculia elmeri Merr.
Sterculia euosma W.W.Sm.
Sterculia excelsa Mart.
Sterculia fanaiho Setch.
Sterculia foetida L. – bastard poon tree, hazel sterculia, wild almond tree
Sterculia forsteri Seem.
Sterculia frondosa Rich.
Sterculia gengmaensis H.H.Hsue ex Y.Tang, M.G.Gilbert & Dorr
Sterculia gilva Miq.
Sterculia glauca A.H.Gentry
Sterculia gracilipes Pierre
Sterculia grandifolia R.Br.
Sterculia guangxiensis S.J.Xu & P.T.Li
Sterculia guapayensis Cuatrec.
Sterculia guianensis Sandwith
Sterculia guttata Roxb.
Sterculia hainanensis Merr. & Chun
Sterculia harmandii Pierre
Sterculia henryi Hemsl.
Sterculia hewittii Ridl.
Sterculia holtzei F.Muell.
Sterculia hymenocalyx K.Schum.
Sterculia hypochroa Pierre – Trôm quạt in Vietnam
Sterculia hyposticta Miq.
Sterculia impressinervis H.H.Hsue
Sterculia insularis R.Br.
Sterculia kayae P.E.Berry
Sterculia khasiana Debb. ex Biswas
Sterculia kingii Prain
Sterculia kingtungensis H.H.Hsue ex Y.Tang, M.G.Gilbert & Dorr
Sterculia kostermansiana Tantra
Sterculia lancaviensis Ridl.
Sterculia lanceifolia Roxb.
Sterculia lanceolata Cav.
Sterculia lastoursvillensis M.Bodard & Pellegr.
Sterculia laxiflora Rusby
Sterculia lepidotostellata Mildbr.
Sterculia linguifolia Mast.
Sterculia lissophylla Pierre
Sterculia longifolia Vent.
Sterculia longipetiolata Merr.
Sterculia macrophylla Vent.
Sterculia macrostemon Tantra
Sterculia madagascariensis R.Br.
Sterculia maoana Doweld
Sterculia mastersii Pierre
Sterculia megistophylla Ridl.
Sterculia membranacea Merr.
Sterculia mexicana R.Br.
Sterculia mhosya Engl.
Sterculia micrantha Chun & H.H.Hsue
Sterculia mindorensis Tantra
Sterculia monosperma Vent. – China chestnut, seven sisters' fruit, pheng phok
Sterculia monticola Mildbr.
Sterculia morobeensis Tantra
Sterculia murex Hemsl. – Lowveld chestnut
Sterculia oblonga Mast.
Sterculia oblongata R.Br.
Sterculia ornatisepala E.L.Taylor ex D.Santam. & Al.Rodr.
Sterculia palauensis Kaneh.
Sterculia papuana Tantra
Sterculia parkinsonii F.Muell.
Sterculia parviflora Roxb. ex G.Don
Sterculia parvifolia R.Br.
Sterculia peekelii Mildbr.
Sterculia pendula Ducke
Sterculia perryae Kosterm.
Sterculia peruviana (D.R.Simpson) E.L.Taylor ex Brako & Zarucchi
Sterculia petenensis E.L.Taylor ex D.Santam. & Al.Rodr.
Sterculia pexa Pierre
Sterculia pinbienensis H.T.Tsai & P.I.Mao
Sterculia pojoira Cuatrec.
Sterculia ponapensis Kaneh.
Sterculia principis Gagnep.
Sterculia pruriens (Aubl.) K.Schum.
Sterculia pseudopeltata Mildbr.
Sterculia quadrifida – Gorarbar
Sterculia quinqueloba (Garcke) K.Schum. – Five-lobed sterculia
Sterculia radicans Gagnep.
Sterculia recordiana Standl.
Sterculia rhinopetala K.Schum. – Red sterculia
Sterculia rhoidifolia Stapf ex Ridl.
Sterculia rhynchocarpa K.Schum.
Sterculia rhynchophylla K.Schum.
Sterculia rigidifolia Ducke
Sterculia ripicola Mildbr.
Sterculia rogersii N.E. Br. – Ulumbu tree
Sterculia rubiginosa Vent – Bai rua long in Vietnam
Sterculia rugosa R.Br.
Sterculia sangirensis Warb.
Sterculia scandens Hemsl.
Sterculia schlechteri Mildbr.
Sterculia schliebenii Mildbr.
Sterculia scortechinii King
Sterculia setigera Delile
Sterculia shillinglawii F.Muell.
Sterculia simaoensis Y.Y.Qian
Sterculia spangleri R.Br.
Sterculia spatulata Warb.
Sterculia speciosa K.Schum.
Sterculia stapfiana K.Schum.
Sterculia stenocarpa H.J.P.Winkl.
Sterculia steyermarkii E.L.Taylor ex Mondragón
Sterculia stigmarota Pierre
Sterculia stipulata Korth.
Sterculia stipulifera Ducke
Sterculia striata A.St.-Hil. & Naudin
Sterculia striatiflora Mast.
Sterculia subnobilis H.H.Hsue
Sterculia subpeltata Blume
Sterculia subracemosa Chun & H.H.Hsue
Sterculia subviolacea K.Schum.
Sterculia tannaensis Guillaumin
Sterculia tantraensis Morat
Sterculia tavia Baill.
Sterculia tessmannii Mildbr.
Sterculia tonkinensis Aug. DC.
Sterculia tantraensis
Sterculia thorelii Pierre – (Bay thua Thorel in Vietnam: S. urens var. thorelii was thought to be a synonym)
Sterculia tragacantha Lindl.
Sterculia tragacanthoides Engl.
Sterculia urceolata Sm.
Sterculia urens Roxb. – Gulu (synonym of Firmiana simplex)
Sterculia urophylla Merr.
Sterculia venezuelensis Pittier
Sterculia versicolor Wall.
Sterculia villifera Steud. – Broad-leaved bottle tree
Sterculia villosa Roxb.
Sterculia vitiensis Seem.
Sterculia xolocotzii T. Wendt & E.L. Taylor
Sterculia yatesii Merr.
Sterculia yuanjiangensis H.H. Hsue & X.J.Xu
Sterculia zeylanica Kosterm.
Deprecated
Etymology
The scientific name is taken from Sterculius of Roman mythology, who was the god of manure; this is in reference to the unpleasant aroma of the flowers of this genus (e.g. Sterculia foetida).
Ecology
Sterculia species are food plants for the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the leaf miner Bucculatrix xenaula, which feeds exclusively on this genus.
Toxicity and uses
The pods, particularly those of S. foetida, contain seeds reported to be edible, with a taste similar to cocoa. However, the oil contains cyclopropene fatty acids which could be carcinogenic or co-carcinogenic.
Gum karaya is extracted from Sterculia species, and is used as a thickener and emulsifier in foods, as a laxative, and as a denture adhesive. In India, this is sourced from: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madras, Madhya Pradesh and Chhota Nagpur.
References
External links
FAO: Species with edible "nuts" listed by families angiosperms (under Sterculiaceae)
Malvaceae genera