Sterculiaceae was a family of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

based on the genus '' Sterculia''. Genera formerly included in Sterculiaceae are now placed in the family

Malvaceae Malvaceae (), or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include Theobroma cacao, cacao, Cola (plant), cola, cotton, okra, Hibiscus sabdariffa, ...

, in the subfamilies: Byttnerioideae, Dombeyoideae, Helicteroideae and

Sterculioideae Sterculioideae is a subfamily of the family (biology), family Malvaceae containing evergreen and deciduous tree and shrub genera, that were previously placed in the obsolete family Sterculiaceae. Taxonomy A 2006 molecular study indicated the Ste ...

. As traditionally circumscribed the Sterculiaceae,

, Bombacaceae, and

Tiliaceae Tiliaceae () is a family of flowering plants. It is not a part of the APG, APG II and APG III classifications, being sunk in Malvaceae mostly as the subfamilies Tilioideae, Brownlowioideae and Grewioideae, but has an extensive historical re ...

comprise the "core

Malvales The Malvales are an Order (biology), order of flowering plants. As circumscribed by Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, APG II-system, the order includes about 6000 species within nine Family (biology), families. The order is placed in the eurosids II, w ...

" of the

Cronquist system The Cronquist system is a list of systems of plant taxonomy, taxonomic classification system of angiosperms, flowering plants. It was developed by Arthur Cronquist in a series of monographs and texts, including ''The Evolution and Classification of ...

and the close relationship among these families is generally recognized. Sterculiaceae may be separated from Malvaceae '' sensu stricto'' by the smooth surface of the pollen grains and the bilocular

anther The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s. Numerous phylogenetic studies have revealed that Sterculiaceae, Tiliaceae and Bombacaceae as traditionally defined are cladistically

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage that includes organisms with mixed evolutionary origin but does not include their most recent common ancestor. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as Homoplasy, homoplasies ...

. The APG and APG II systems unite Bombacaceae, Malvaceae ''sensu stricto'', Sterculiaceae and Tiliaceae into a more widely circumscribed Malvaceae, i.e., Malvaceae '' sensu lato''. In that view the taxa formerly classified in Sterculiaceae are treated in the subfamilies Byttnerioideae, Dombeyoideae, Helicteroideae and

of the Malvaceae ''sensu lato''. The Thorne system takes an intermediate approach in combining the bulk of the traditional Sterculiaceae (but not including ''Sterculia'' itself) with elements of the traditional

to form the family Byttneriaceae. Sterculiaceae had previously been recognized as a family by most systematists; in its traditional sense the family includes about 70 genera, totalling around 1,500 species of tropical trees and shrubs. The most famous products of the family are

chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either by itself or to flavoring, flavor other foods. Cocoa beans are the processed seeds of the cacao tree (''Theobroma cacao''); unprocesse ...

and cocoa from ''

Theobroma cacao ''Theobroma cacao'' (cacao tree or cocoa tree) is a small ( tall) evergreen tree in the Malvaceae family. Its seedscocoa beansare used to make chocolate liquor, cocoa solids, cocoa butter and chocolate. Although the tree is native to the tropi ...

'', followed by kola nuts. Many species yield timber. A 2006 molecular study indicated the Sterculioideae was most likely to be a monophyletic group, and that it had four major clades within it. However, the relationships between the clades were not resolved.

Genera

*'' Abroma'' Jacq *'' Acropogon'' Schltr *'' Aethiocarpa'' Vollesen *'' Astiria'' Lindl *'' Ayenia'' L. *'' Brachychiton'' Schott & Endl *'' Byttneria'' Loefl *'' Cheirolaena'' Benth *'' Chiranthodendron'' Larreat *''

Cola Cola is a Carbonation, carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus essential oil, oils, and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked br ...

'' Schott & Endl *'' Commersonia'' J.R.Forst. & G.Forst *'' Cotylonychia'' Stapf *'' Dicarpidium'' F.Muell *'' Dombeya'' Cav. *'' Eriolaena'' DC *'' Firmiana'' Marsili *'' Franciscodendron'' B.Hyland & Steenis *'' Fremontodendron'' Coville *'' Gilesia'' F.Muell *'' Glossostemon'' Desf. *'' Guazuma'' Mill. *'' Guichenotia'' J.Gay *'' Hannafordia'' F.Muell *'' Harmsia'' K.Schum *'' Helicteres'' L. *'' Helmiopsiella'' Arenes *'' Helmiopsis'' H.Perrier *'' Heritiera'' Aiton *'' Hermannia'' L. *'' Herrania'' Goudot *'' Hildegardia'' Schott & Endl *'' Keraudrenia'' J.Gay *'' Kleinhovia'' L. *'' Lasiopetalum'' Sm. *'' Leptonychia'' Turcz *'' Leptonychiopsis'' Ridl *'' Lysiosepalum'' F.Muell *'' Mansonia'' J.R.Drumm. ex Prain *'' Maxwellia'' Baill. *'' Megatritheca'' Cristobal *'' Melhania'' Forssk. *'' Melochia'' L. *'' Neoregnellia'' Urb. *'' Nesogordonia'' Baill. *'' Octolobus'' Welw. *'' Paradombeya'' Stapf *'' Paramelhania'' Arenes *'' Pentapetes'' L. *'' Pimia'' Seem. *'' Pterocymbium'' R.Br. *''

Pterospermum ''Pterospermum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae. Its species are tropical trees that range from southern China across tropical Asia. Traditionally included in the family (biology), family Sterculiaceae, it is incl ...

'' Schreb. *'' Pterygota'' Schott & Endl *'' Rayleya'' Cristobal *'' Reevesia'' Lindl *'' Ruizia'' Cav. *'' Rulingia'' R.Br. *'' Scaphium'' Schott & Endl *''

Scaphopetalum ''Scaphopetalum'' is a genus previously classified under the plant family Sterculiaceae. Currently, under the APG IV system the genus is placed under the subfamily Byttnerioideae of the family Malvaceae sensu lato. The distribution of the genus i ...

'' Mast *'' Seringia'' J.Gay *'' Sterculia'' L. *'' Theobroma'' L. *'' Thomasia'' J.Gay *'' Triplochiton'' K.Schum *'' Trochetia'' DC *'' Trochetiopsis'' Marais *'' Ungeria'' Schott & Endl *'' Waltheria'' L.

Notes

References

* Whitlock, B. A., C. Bayer, and D. A. Baum. 2001. Phylogenetic Relationships and Floral Evolution of the Byttnerioideae ("Sterculiaceae" or Malvaceae s.l.) Based on Sequences of the Chloroplast Gene, ''ndhF''. ''Systematic Botany'' 26: 420–437 (abstract onlin
here
. * Wilkie, P., Clark, A., Pennington, R. T., Cheek, M., Bayer, C. & Wilcock, C. C. (2006).Phylogenetic Relationships within the Subfamily Sterculioideae (Malvaceae/Sterculiaceae-Sterculieae) Using the Chloroplast Gene ndhF. ''Systematic Botany'' 31(1):160-170.

External links

i
L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards)
''The families of flowering plants: descriptions''.
Malvaceae/Sterculiaceae - Sterculieae
at th
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
{{Authority control Malvales families Historically recognized angiosperm families