Wikipedia
Sterculioideae
Sterculioideae is a subfamily of the Malvaceae family containing evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs.
A 2006 molecular study indicated the Sterculioideae was most likely to be a monophyletic group, and that it had four major clades within it. However, the relationships between the clades were not resolved.
The clades consist of a:
- Cola clade, with the genera Cola and Octolobus of Africa and Pterygota of Africa, South America and southeast Asia forming a subclade, Hildegardia and Firmiana forming a second and Scaphium and Pterocymbium a third.
- Heritiera clade comprising the genus Heritiera
- Sterculia clade comprising the large genus Sterculia of Africa and Asia.
- Brachychiton clade of Australasian and New Caledonian species, including Brachychiton, Acropogon, Argyrodendron and Franciscodendron.