Trees, shrubs, undershrubs, woody or perennial herbs, rarely annuals, rarely climbing; herbaceous portions more or less usually stellate pubescent; bark usually abounding
in mucilage, inner fibrous. Leaves alternate, simple, lobed or digitate; stipules usually
present, early caducous. Inflorescences various, usually cymose, sometimes 1-flowered,
axillary to terminal. Flowers actinomorphic (except in Helicteres and Kleinhovia),
bisexual or unisexual by abortion or polygamous. Sepals 5, usually more or less connate,
rarely completely so, valvate. Petals 5 or absent, hypogynous, free or connate at base,
contorted or imbricate. Stamens multi- or uniseriate by abortion, many in a column or
5, free; anthers in a head or in a single ring at the apex of the column or distributed on
the outside of the tube or arranged along edge of cup or tube with intervening staminodes; anther locules, parallel or divergent, opening lengthwise by a slit or rarely by
tenninal pores. Ovary usually 2 - 5-carpellary, rarely unicarpellary, syncarpous or
apocarpus; ovules many or few, attached to inner angle of the carpel, anatropous,
ascending or horizontal; styles consolidated or as many as locules of ovary. Fruits often
5 valved, loculicidal capsules, woody, chartaceous, sometimes 1 -
6, spreading or spirally
twisted follicles or samaras. Seeds few to many, sometimes arillate, occasionally winged;
albumen fleshy, thin or absent; cotyledons flat, folded or rolled leafy.
Almost exclusively in tropics and subtropics, and rarely in temperate regions; ca 68
genera and 1100 species; 19 genera and 68 species in India.
Literature.
ABEDIN, S. & A. GHAFOOR (1976) Sterculiaceae. In: NASIR, E. & ALI. Fl. W.
pakistan 99: 1 -
25. MALICK, K.C. & B. SAFUI (1982). A review of Androecium in Sterculaceae with a
key to the genera. Bull. Bot. Surv. India 22: 213 -
216. SHARMA, B.D. (1969). Studies of Indian Pollen
grains in relation to taxonomy -
Sterculiaceae. Proc. Natl. Inst. Sci. B, 35: 320 -
359. RAO, C.V.
(1950).
Pollen grains of Sterculiaceae. J. Ind. Bot. Soc. 29: 130 -
131.
KEY TO THE GENERA
1a. Trees or shurbs (except Byttneria herbacea)
2
b. Herbs or undershrubs (except Melochia umbellata, Melhania cannabina, M. futteyporensi, M. hamiltoniana and M. tomentosa
16
2a. Flowers unisexual or polygamous; petals absent
