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Sterculia monosperma Vent.

Family Name:	Malvaceae
Synonyms:	Sterculia nobilis
Common Name:	Seven Sisters' Fruit, China Chestnut, Kelompang

Full Sun

Moderate Water

Ornamental Flowers

Tree

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Name Authority
Name Status (botanical)
Synonyms
Common Names
Comments

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division	Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon)
Plant Growth Form	Tree
Lifespan (in Singapore)	Perennial

Mode of Nutrition

Autotrophic

Biogeography

Native Distribution	Southern China, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam
Preferred Climate Zone	Tropical

Description and Ethnobotany

Others - Plant Morphology	Growth Form: Large tree with rounded crown. Habitat: Occurs in dense, tropical forests. Trunk: Bark is brown to black. Foliage: Glabrous leaves are oblong or elliptic with wavy leaf margin (8 - 25 cm long, 5 - 15 cm wide). Leaves have short petioles (2 - 3.5 cm) and 6 - 10 lateral veins (veins directly connected to the midvein). Flowers: Unisexual flowers lack petals, but have a creamy white, bell-shaped calyx (outermost layer of the flower) that becomes reddish (1 cm wide). The calyx has 5 - 6 linear lobes that arch towards the center and unite at the apex. Male flowers are more numerous than female flowers which are slightly larger. Fruits: Bright red, leathery fruits are known as follicles which break open along 1 seam (5 cm long, 2 - 3 cm wide). Fruits have a pointed apex and contain 1 - 4 ellipsoid, brown to black seeds. Landscaping: This species has an attractive shape and provides excellent shade. Cultivation: Plant this species in fertile, well-drained soil. Propagation: Propagate by seed or stem cuttings. Etymology: The genus "Sterculia" is named after the Roman god Sterculius, the god of manure. The reference is to the foul-smelling flowers of some species in this genus. The species epithet "monosperma" means one-seeded and is derived from the Greek words for single ("monos") and seed ("sperma"). It refers to how fruits often contain only 1 large seed.
Ethnobotanical Uses	Edible Plant Parts : Edible Stems Others: Food: Although some sources state that boiled seeds are edible, Berry (1980) found that the seed oil contains 19% cyclopropenoid fatty acids (CPFA), compounds shown to cause physiological problems in animals. Cooking the seeds did not significantly reduce the amount of CPFA, so it is best not to eat the seeds.

Others - Plant Morphology

Growth Form: Large tree with rounded crown. Habitat: Occurs in dense, tropical forests. Trunk: Bark is brown to black. Foliage: Glabrous leaves are oblong or elliptic with wavy leaf margin (8 - 25 cm long, 5 - 15 cm wide). Leaves have short petioles (2 - 3.5 cm) and 6 - 10 lateral veins (veins directly connected to the midvein). Flowers: Unisexual flowers lack petals, but have a creamy white, bell-shaped calyx (outermost layer of the flower) that becomes reddish (1 cm wide). The calyx has 5 - 6 linear lobes that arch towards the center and unite at the apex. Male flowers are more numerous than female flowers which are slightly larger. Fruits: Bright red, leathery fruits are known as follicles which break open along 1 seam (5 cm long, 2 - 3 cm wide). Fruits have a pointed apex and contain 1 - 4 ellipsoid, brown to black seeds. Landscaping: This species has an attractive shape and provides excellent shade. Cultivation: Plant this species in fertile, well-drained soil. Propagation: Propagate by seed or stem cuttings. Etymology: The genus "Sterculia" is named after the Roman god Sterculius, the god of manure. The reference is to the foul-smelling flowers of some species in this genus. The species epithet "monosperma" means one-seeded and is derived from the Greek words for single ("monos") and seed ("sperma"). It refers to how fruits often contain only 1 large seed.

Ethnobotanical Uses

Edible Plant Parts : Edible Stems
Others: Food: Although some sources state that boiled seeds are edible, Berry (1980) found that the seed oil contains 19% cyclopropenoid fatty acids (CPFA), compounds shown to cause physiological problems in animals. Cooking the seeds did not significantly reduce the amount of CPFA, so it is best not to eat the seeds.

Landscaping Features

Desirable Plant Features	Ornamental Flowers, Ornamental Fruits
Usage Hazard - Cons	Toxic Upon Ingestion
Usage Hazard - Cons Remarks	Seeds are poisonous upon ingestion.

Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal

Seed or Spore Dispersal	Abiotic (Gravity)

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference	Full Sun
Water Preference	Moderate Water
Plant Growth Rate	Moderate

Foliar

Mature Foliage Colour(s)	Green
Mature Foliage Texture(s)	Smooth, Glossy / Shiny, Leathery
Foliar Type	Simple / Unifoliate

Foliar Shape(s)	Non-Palm Foliage (Elliptical, Oblong)
Foliar Venation	Pinnate / Net
Foliar Margin	Entire - Wavy / Undulate
Foliar Apex - Tip	Acute, Obtuse
Foliar Base	Rounded / Obtuse
Typical Foliar Area	Macrophyll ( 182.25cm2 - 1640.25 cm2 )
Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio	3.0 (Tree - Intermediate Canopy)

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower Colour(s)	Red
Flower Symmetry	Radial
Individual Flower Shape	Campaulate / Bell-shaped

Inflorescence Type

Panicle

Fruit, Seed and Spore

Mature Fruit Colour(s)	Red
Fruit Classification	Simple Fruit
Fruit Type	Dehiscent Dry Fruit , Follicle

Image Repository

Images

Others

Master ID	1846
Species ID	3139
Flora Disclaimer	The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.