Sterculia apetala (Jacq.) H.Karst.

 
  • Family : STERCULIACEAE
    (Sterculia Or Cocoa Family)
  • Family (Hindi name) : COCOA FAMILY
  • Family (as per The APG System IV) : Malvaceae
  • Synonym(s) : Clompanus apetala (Jacq.) Kuntze; Helicteres apetala Jacq.; Sterculia carthaginensis Cav.
  • Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Sterculia apetala (Jacq.) H.Karst.
  • Common name : Panama tree
  • Vernacular name :
    • Seemai peenaari (Tamil)
  • Habit : Tree
  • Habitat : Cultivated
  • Key identification features : Deciduous tree, growing 20–40 meters tall; Trunk straight, cylindrical, large buttresses at the base for support; Leaves alternate, palmately lobed, densely clustered at branch ends, including the petiole leaves range from 15-50cm long; Flowers unisexual, purple, yellow color, in clusters, sepals 5, no petals, 2.5-3.5cm across; Fruit follicles, upto 5, woody, boat-shaped, peduncles upto 30cm long, inside each follicle are numerous seeds surrounded by bright orange stinging hairs, which can cause pain and irritation upon contact.
  • Flower, Fruit : December-March
  • Distribution :
    • Tamil Nadu : Chennai district
  • Native : Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Florida, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panamá, Peru, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles
  • Exotic/Native : Exotic
  • World Distribution : Florida to S. Tropical America
  • Literature :
    • Narasimhan, D. & Irwin, Sheeba. (2021). Flowering Plants of Tamil Nadu: A Compendium.
  • Read more :
  • Permalink : https://indiatrees-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Sterculia apetala
  • Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2026). India Trees and Vegetation Types. Sterculia apetala. Downloaded on 3 October 2026.

Distribution District wise

India Distribution

World Distribution

GBIF Distribution

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