Sterculia quadrifida.
Family Malvaceae > Subfamily Sterculioideae.
The Peanut tree or Red-fruited Kurrajong is native to Queensland.
A tree often around 10 m high but can grow to 20 m.
The cylindrical trunk has smooth, pale grey bark.
They are deciduous or semi-deciduous depending on the climate.
Leaves, on petioles up to 6 cm long, have blades around 12 cm long by 8 cm.
Arranged alternately they may be concentrated at the branch ends so appear whorled.
The widely ovate blades have a short tapering point and a slightly heart-shaped base.
They can be a shiny bright green or a dark green.
There are a few stellate hairs on the petioles and on veins on the lower leaf surface.
Young leaves are paler and more hairy.
The pinnate veins are prominent.
There are stipules.
Branched axillary inflorescences are up to 10 cm long.
When they appear there may be some or no leaves.
Flowers are either male or female with both on the same tree.
Individual flowers are on stalks 0.5 to 1 cm long.
There are stellate hairs on the flower stalks and the bracts.
There are no petals but cream, brownish or greenish sepals.
The urn or bell-shaped calyx is up to 10 mm long.
The bases of the 4 (5) sepals are fused with 3 to 4 mm long lobes.
The tips of the slightly fleshy sepal lobes are lightly fused.
There are dense, stellate hairs on the outer surface.
There may be a few, or no hairs inside.
Male flowers have around 10 to 16 stamens with the filaments fused into a staminal column.
The anthers are close together in a globular head.
There are no rudimentary carpels.
Female flowers have 4 (5) united carpels on a short androgynophore.
The ovaries and the united styles are covered in white hairs.
There are 4 (5) yellow, lobed stigmas.
There is a ring of anthers at the base of the ovaries.
Each flower can form up to 4 fruits but mostly only 2 or 3 develop.
The follicles are oblong or boat-shaped and up to 8 cm long by 3 cm wide.
They are leathery and densely covered in stellate hairs externally.
Initially green they ripen to orange or red.
The red interior contains up to 10 shiny, black seeds up to 2 cm long.
J.F.
