Sterculia africana (Lour.) Fiori

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Victoria Falls, rd to Zambezi NP

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chitengo camp, Gorongosa National Park

Photo: Bart Wursten
By road from Sinamatella to Robins Camp, Hwange NP

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chitengo camp, Gorongosa National Park

Drawing: Patricia Bingham

1974.
Photo: Mike Bingham

Aug 2012.
Photo: Mike Bingham

Oct 1973.
Photo: Mike Bingham

May 1974.
Photo: Mike Bingham

Photo: Warren McCleland
Quissanga, Cabo Delgado

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:	Sterculia guerichii K. Schum.
Common names:	African star-chestnut (English) False baobab (English) Tick tree (English)
Frequency:
Status:
Description:	Medium sized tree with a stout trunk. Bark smooth silvery-grey, often mottled with purple-brown, peeling. Leaves crowded near the ends of branches, broadly ovate-cordate in outline, variously 3-5- lobed. Flowers in compact terminal panicles, greenish-yellow with reddish guide lines, appearing before the leaves; sexes separate on the same tree. Fruit consisting of 1-5 beaked carpels, each splitting down one side, golden velvety on the outside; mouth fringed with highly irritant hairs, which protect the blue-black, tick-like seeds.
Type location:	Mozambique
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	africana: African
Habitat:
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:	Sep - Nov
Worldwide distribution:	East Africa from Sudan to Mozambique; Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia.
FZ divisions:	N
Growth form(s):	Tree, shrub over 2 m.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Sunday 28 September 2014
Literature:	Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 594. (Includes a picture). Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Pages 458 - 459. Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Pages 454 - 455. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 260. Fowler, D.G. (2007). Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses, Kew Publishing Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 68. Parker, T. (2023). Common Trees of Mozambique The Tree Press, Austin, Texas, USA Pages 260 - 261. (Includes a picture). Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 84. Schmidt, E., Lötter, M. & McCleland, W. (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Jacana, Johannesburg, South Africa Pages 262 - 263. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 108. Storrs, A.E.G. (1995). Know Your Trees Regional Soil Conservation Unit. Pages 97 - 98. (Includes a picture). Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 179. Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 210 - 211. White, F. (1962). Forest Flora of Northern Rhodesia Oxford Univ. Press. Page 246. Wild, H. (1960-1). Sterculiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(2) Pages 553 - 554. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Sterculia africana:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: Sterculia africana
Flora of Malawi: Sterculia africana
Flora of Mozambique: Sterculia africana
Flora of Zambia: Sterculia africana
Flora of Zimbabwe: Sterculia africana

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Sterculia africana
African Plant Database: Sterculia africana
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Sterculia africana
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Sterculia africana
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Sterculia africana
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Sterculia africana
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Sterculia africana
JSTOR Plant Science: Sterculia africana
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Sterculia africana
Plants of the World Online: Sterculia africana
Tropicos: Sterculia africana
Wikipedia: Sterculia africana