Herbarium JCB

Sterculia foetida L.

Family : STERCULIACEAE
Family (As per The Plant List) : Malvaceae
Species : Sterculia foetida
Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Sterculia foetida L.
Common name : Java Olive, Indian 'Almond'
Vernacular name : Pitidaru (San.); Janglibadam (Hin.); Patala mara, Bhootala mara, Peenari (Kan.)
Collection Nos : KFP 3676
Key identification features : Is a tall deciduous tree reaching a height of 20 m with faintly ridged grey bark. The bole reaches up to 2m in girth. Branches are reddish, usually horizontal. Leaves are large palmately compound (5-7 leaflets) and clustered at the branch ends. Flowers are usually in much-branched axillary inflorescence. The crimson and yellow flowers (2 cm across) have an offensive odour. The pendant fruit consists of one to five rounded, scarlet, woody pods, each about 8 cm. in diameter and gaping open along one line when ripe. Seeds are 10-15, black or bluish-black, oblong and edible, eaten raw or roasted.
Habit : Tree
Conservation Status : Not Evaluated (NE)
Distribution Locality : Bangalore, Chikamagalur, Dakshina Kannada, Gulbarga, Mysore, Udupi
Floras referred : Saldanha, 1984; Gopalakrishna Bhat, 2003 - Udupi