Sterculioideae is a subfamily of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

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 okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar o ...

containing

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

and

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, a ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s and shrubs. 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. The clades consist of a: *''Cola'' clade, with the genera ''

Cola Cola is a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was ...

'' and ''

Octolobus ''Octolobus'' is a genus of tropical forest trees in the family Malvaceae, subfamily Sterculioideae (previously placed in the Sterculiaceae). They are found in Central and West Africa and are closely related to the genus '' Cola''. Species Pla ...

'' of Africa and ''

Pterygota The Pterygota ( grc, πτερυγωτός, pterugōtós, winged) are a subclass of insects that includes the winged insects. It also includes insect orders that are secondarily wingless (that is, insect groups whose ancestors once had wings b ...

'' of Africa, South America and southeast Asia forming a subclade, '' Hildegardia'' and ''

Firmiana ''Firmiana'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, formerly placed in the now defunct Sterculiaceae; it may sometimes be called the "parasol tree". The genus name honours Karl Joseph von Firmian. Species The Catalogue of Life ...

'' forming a second and '' Scaphium'' and '' Pterocymbium'' a third. *''Heritiera'' clade comprising the genus '' Heritiera'' *''Sterculia'' clade comprising the large genus ''

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'' ma ...

'' of Africa and Asia. *''Brachychiton'' clade of Australasian and New Caledonian species, including ''

Brachychiton ''Brachychiton'' (kurrajong, bottletree) is a genus of 31 species of trees and large shrubs, native to Australia (the centre of diversity, with 30 species), and New Guinea (one species). Fossils from New South Wales and New Zealand are estimated ...

'', '' Acropogon'', '' Argyrodendron'' and '' Franciscodendron''.

References

Rosid subfamilies {{Sterculioideae-stub