Volume 7 > Part 3 > Year 2001 > Page 552 > Sterculiaceae

4. Dombeya Cav.

Diss. 121. t38: 41. 1787; Benth. & Hook.f., Gen. Pl. 1: 221. 1867.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Description : Shrubs to small trees. Leaves simple, cordate, spirally arranged, dentate or serrate. Flowers 5-merous, bisexual, crowded in axillary and terminal umbellate or helicoid cymes. Petals and sepals present, free. Stamens 10–15, free or shortly united near base; staminodes 5, twice as long as stamens. Ovary sessile, ovoid, hairy, (2–)3(–5) locular, each locule with 2(–3) ovules; style slender, thickened toward apex; stigma with 3–5 segments. Fruit dehiscent.

A genus of about 50 species mainly in Africa; 2 species are cultivated in Thailand as ornamentals.

Note.— Dombeya acutagula Cav., Diss.: 123. t. 38, f. 2. 1787 and D. wallichii (Lindl.) Benth. & Hook.f., Gen. Pl. 1: 221. 1867, are often found in gardens. The former species is easily recognized by the flowers, ca 10 cm diam. and the latter with flowers up to 2 cm diam. No herbarium specimens have been seen. Fig. 64).

E-version notes : The genus is now placed in the family Malvaceae.