Scientific Name : Sterculia lanceolata Cav.
Common Name : Lance-leaved Sterculia, Scarlet Sterculia
Chinese Name : 假蘋婆, 雞冠木, 賽蘋婆
Family : STERCULIACEAE
Local distribution status : Native species
| Origins | Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan Provinces. Also distributed in Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. In South China, the species is commonly found in forests and on the bank of valleys and creeks. |
|---|---|
| Real and fake Sterculia | As its Chinese name “Fake Sterculia (假蘋婆)” implies, there must be a real Sterculia. That is Sterculia monosperma Vent., also classified under the genus Sterculia. It is commonly known as Common Sterculia and Noble Bottle-tree in English, or “Phoenix-eye Fruit (鳳眼果)” and “Seven-Sisters Fruit (七姐果)” in Chinese. Its seeds are edible after being steamed, taste like chestnuts, and are sold in wet-market near the Seven Sisters Festival. The main differences between the two are that the leaves of Common Sterculia are relatively larger, the follicles are often twin-united, with larger seeds. Conversely, the leaves of Lance-leaved Sterculia is relatively smaller, with follicles that are often five-united, with smaller seeds. |
| Meanings of names | Since its leaves are sometimes shaped lanceolate, with fruits are scarlet in colour, it was given the English name “Lance-leaved Sterculia” and “Scarlet Sterculia”. It is noteworthy that the characters “蘋婆” in its Chinese name should be pronounced as “pan4 po4 (頻婆)” in Cantonese. Never attempt to pronounce as “ping4 po4 (萍婆)”! |
| Growing habit | Evergreen tree. |
|---|---|
| Height | To 20 m. |
| Stems | Bark of trunk dark brown. |
| Leaves | Elliptic, lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, apex acute, base obtuse or nearly rounded, thin leathery. Lateral veins 7 to 9 pairs, arcuate (curved upward), prominent on both surfaces, anastomosing (connected) veins near margin. Netted veins conspicuous. Petiole swollen at both ends. |
| Flowers | Sepals 5, united at base forming a star shape, light red. Inflorescences axillary, branching many, dense. |
| Fruits | Follicles, narrowly ovoid to narrowly ellipsoid, apex beaked, 5-united, scarlet, like a red umbrella. Split when mature, with 2 to 4 seeds inside each follicle. |
| Seeds | Blackish brown, ellipsoid-ovoid. |
| Flowering period | April to May in Hong Kong. |
| Fruiting period | August to September in Hong Kong. |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website : https://www.herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=7987
Scientific names from other databases
― Flora of China : Sterculia lanceolata Cavanilles
― Plants of the World Online : Sterculia lanceolata Cav.