Dombeya Cav., Diss. 2 (App.): 2. 1786; Benth. & Hook. f., Gen. Pl. 221. 1862; Masters in Oliv., Fl. Trop. Afr. 1: 226. 1868; Hutch., Gen. Fl. Pl. 2: 504. 1867; Parker, For. Fl. Punj. ed. 1: 48. 1918 (Reprint 1973); Fl. Pak. @eFloras.org p. 2.

Trees or shrubs, leaves 5-nerved, cordate, usually palmately lobed. Inflorescence axillary or terminal, much branched, pedunculate cymes or umbels. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, pentamerous, hypogynous. Bracts 3, caducous or absent. Sepals 5, united at base, lobes lanceolate, eventually reflexed. Petals 5, imbricate, oblique, cuneate-obovate, persistent-marcescent. Stamens 10-20, alternating with 5 strap-shaped staminodes, both monoadelphous at base; anthers parallel. Carpels 2-5, syncarpous, ovary sessile, 2-5-locular, each loculus with 2-3 ovules; styles free or connate; stigmas 2-5, patent. Capsule loculicidally dehiscent, as many loculed as ovary, locules 1-2 seeded. Seeds endospermic.

197 species

Dombeya acutangula Cav., Diss. 3: 123. 1787; Bailey, Stand. Cyclop. Hort. 1: 1065. 1917; Chitra in Nair & Henry, Fl. Tamil Nadu 1: 38. 1983; Parker, For. Fl. Punj. ed. 1: 48. 1918 (Reprint 1973); Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 6; eFlora of India in BSI vol. 3; Dombeya angulata Cav., Diss. 3: 123. 1787; D. palmata Cav., Diss. 3: 122. 1787; Pentapetes acutangula (Cav.) Poir. in Lamarck, Encycl. 5: 155. 1804.

Shrubs or small tree. Leaves alternate, simple; petioles up to 20 cm long, patent hairy; blades broadly ovate to suborbicular, 6-20 cm x 6-22 cm, stellate tomentose on both sides, deeply cordate, serrate, shallowly 3-5-lobed, lobes acute-acuminate. Stipules 8-10 mm x 1 mm, linear, hairy, caducous. Inflorescence an axillary cyme, peduncle as long as petiole, tomentose. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, pentamerous, hypogynous, white or pink, 2-3 cm across; pedicels 1.5-2.5 cm long, tomentose. Bracts 3, 1.2 cm x 0.4-0.8 cm, hairy, ovate, usually acuminate, caducous. Sepals 5, 1-1.5 cm x 0.3-0.4 cm, united at base, linear-lanceolate, pubescent outside, reflexed down at anthesis, persistent. Petals 5, imbricate, 1.5-2 cm x 1-1.5 cm, oblique obovate, persistent- marcescent. Stamens 15, in 5 groups of 3 alternating with staminodes, stamens and staminodes monoadelphous. Staminal column tubular at base; fertile stamens 8-10 mm long and staminodes 1-1.5 cm long; anthers parallel. Carpels 5, syncarpous; ovary sessile, densely villous, 5-locular, each loculus with 2-3 ovules; style ca. 1 cm long, nearly as long as staminodes, villous at base; stigmas 5, recurved-coiled. Fruit oblong, pentagonal, 5-8 cm long, 3-4 mm broad, densely villous.

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