REINWARDTIA

Vol. 10, Part 4, pp. 475 (1988)

A NOTE ON FRANCISCODENDRON HYLAND & STEENIS
(STERCULIACEAE)

A.J.G.H. KOSTERMANS

Herbarium Bogoriense, Bogor, Indonesia

Franciscodendron Hyland & van Steenis (in Burnonia 10: 211-214.
1987) is, as stated by the authors, related to Hildegardia because of its samara-
like, indehiscent, one-to two-seed papyraceous (when mature) fruit (differing
by the stelate pilose seeds).

The statement that Pterygota, (p. 211) should have thick woody indehis-
cent fruit is wrong; Pterygota has early widely dehiscent fruit with numerous,
closely packed, samara like seeds, which drop out already on the tree.

The main difference with Hildegardia is not stressed by the authors;
the former has a tube like corolla, as in Firmiana, brightly coloured, whereas
the flowers of Franciscodendron have 5 valvate free sepals and no corolla; its
flowers being exactly like those of Pterygota.

It is stated that the flowers are hermaphrodite, but from the drawings
I have the impression that the lefthand flower is a female one with 5 free
carpels, at the base surrounded by sterile anthers, and this seated on an andro-
gynophore, whereas the righthand flower is a male one with the androgyno-
phore bearing a clump of anthers with (I suspect) the sterile reduced gynae-
cium in between and covered up, or entirely missing.

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