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