Sterculiaceae

noun

Trees or shrubs, rarely herbs or liana; young growth usually stellately hairy; bark mucilaginous and rich in fibers. Leaves alternate; stipules usually present caducous; leaf blade simple, rarely palmately compound, entire, serrate, or parted. Inflorescence axillary or rarely terminal, paniculate, corymbose, racemose, or cymose, rarely solitary. Flowers unisexual, bisexual or polygamous. Sepals (3-) 5, ± connate, rarely free, valvate. Petals 5 or lacking, free or adnate to base of androecium, convolutely imbricate. Androgynophore usually present; filaments usually connate into a single tube; staminodes 5, tonguelike or filiform, opposite to sepals, sometimes lacking; anthers 2-celled, longitudinally dehiscent. Pistil consisting of 2-5(or 10-12) ± connate carpels, or a single carpel; ovary superior, 2-5(or 10-12) -loculed; ovules 2 or more per locule; style 1 or as many as carpels. Fruit usually a capsule or follicle, dehiscent or indehiscent, very rarely a berry or nut. Seeds with abundant endosperm or endosperm lacking; embryo straight or curved.