Sterculia holtzei
Family: Malvaceae
What it is like
A deciduous tree. It grows 25 m high. The trunk has buttresses at the base. The bark is pale grey or cream and smooth. The leaves are 6-15 cm long by 4-8 cm wide. It loses its leaves during the dry season. The flowers are in groups in the axils of leaves. There are 5-8 flowers in a group. The flowers are cream and yellow. The fruit are yellow to orange and made up of 4 follicles. These are banana shaped and 4-6 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. There are 1-5 seeds in each follicle. The seeds are shiny and black. They are about 1.5 cm long.
Also put in the family Sterculiaceae.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in swamps. It grows from sea level to 150 m above sea level. It grows in northern Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia (country/location of origin)
How it is used for food
Edible parts
How it is grown
Plants are grown from fresh seeds. Trees can re-sprout after fire.
Trees produce seeds after 11 years. Trees live for more than 20 years. In northern West Australia flowers are May to September and fruit in August to November.