Sloanea sterculiacea
(Benth.) Rehder & Wilson in Sarg., Pl. Wilson. 2: 362. 1916, p.p. Echinocarpus sterculiaceus Benth in J. Linn. soc. 5 Suppl 2: 72.1861; Masters in Fl. Brit. India 1: 400. 1874.
Trees, 20 - 25 m tall, often buttressed; branchlets glabrous or tomentose. Leaves 12.5 - 25 x 5 - 10 cm, ovate, obovate or elliptic-oblong or oblanceolate, cuneate, rounded: or subcordate at base, acute to abruptly short acuminate at apex, serrulate, glabrous of
tomentose beneath, veins prominent beneath, coriaceous; petioles 3.5 - 5 cm long somewhat thickened and geniculate at apex, glabrous or finely pelted. Flowers creamy white, 2 - 3 cm across, axillary, solitary, or in few-flowered fascicles; pedicels 2 - 4 cm long. Sepals 4, 6 - 9 mm long, unequal, ovate or oblong, tomentose. Petlas 4, 6 - 9 mm long, oblong or suborbicular, variously cut at apex, pubescent. Stamens numeous filaments 2 - 4 mm long, densely hairy; anthers 2 - 3 mm long, linear or oblong, shortly awned. Disc flattened, pitted. Ovary globose or ovoid, densely tomentose, 4-loculed; styles 5 - 6 mm long, subulate, hairy at base, sometimes twisted at apex. Capsules 4.5 -
7 cm across, globose to ovoid, pendulous, 4 -
5-valved; valves covered with dense,
pointed, 1 - 2 cm long, stiff spines, valves up to 4-seeded.
KEY TO THE VARIETIES
| 1a. Leaves elliptic-oblong, shortly acuminate, glabrous or slightly puberulous beneath; petioles glabrous. Pedicels glabrous or sparsely puberulous | 3.1. assamica |
| b. Leaves ovate to obvate, acute, tomentose beneath; petioles and pedicels tomentose | 3.2. sterculiacea |
