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Hildegardia Gallery
Synonymy of
Hildegardia
Introduction
Hildegardia is a genus of 11 species of Malvaceous trees, placed in subfamily Sterculioideae/tribe Sterculieae. It has a pantropical distribution (West Africa, East Africa, Madagascar, southern India, Philippines, Indonesia, northern Australia and Cuba). The genus was introduced in 1832 [a] and revised in 1954 [b]. Additional species have be described in or tranferred to the genus in subsequent years. The type species is Hildegardia populifolia [1] (Roxb.) Schott. & Endl.
The genus is the type of Reichenbach's [c] (currently unrecognised) suprageneric taxon Hildegardieae
The genus is distinguished from other genera of Sterculieae by the combination of the traits of indehiscent (not dehiscent) and thin, membraneous or papery (not thick, leathery or woody) fruits. Like the other genera of the tribe its flowers lack petals, and also lack an epicalyx, but possess an androgynophore.
The leaves are thin, broadly ovate, unlobed or slightly lobed, cordate at the base, palmately nerved, with entire margins, and sometimes with domatia. The inflorescence is composed of raceme like panicles at the end of the shoots. The flowers are polygamous, some being hermaphrodite, others unisexual. The calyx is tubular, 4- or 5-lobed, usually petaloid and reddish in colour, and persistent in fruit. The stamens number twice or thrice the number of sepals, and are united in a longish androgynophore, at the end of which the anthers are sessile, and clustered around the carpels. The anthers are 2-locular. The carpels number 5, borne on a short stalk, and soon separate from each other. They are uniovulate or biovulate. In fruit they are free, long-stalked, and indehiscent, with a membranous and reticulate coat.[1, 2]
The African and Malagasy species appear to form a natural group in which the calyx is tubular, and only shortly divided at the apex, and which flower when the plant is bare of leaves [3]. A study of DNA sequences from Sterculioideae [d] found that Hildegardia and Firmiana did not form mutually distinct clades, implying that a revision of these two genera is necessary.
Hildegardia millenari, mention of which can be found on the WWW, is fictional. Hildegardia is also a genus of grasshoppers.
Hildegardia ankaranensis (Arenes) Kosterm.
A species from Madagascar, perhaps named after than Ankarana reserve, in the north of the country.
The leaves are long petiolate, ovate, palmately 7-nervate, cordate at the base and weakly 3-lobed. The lobes are variably acumunate, in some leaves only the central lobe being so.. The flowers are tubular and orange-red in colour.
Synonyms:of Hildegardia ankaranensis include Sterculia ankaranensis Arènes.
Hildegardia australiensis G.J.Leach & Cheek
A recently (1991) described deciduous species from the Western Arnhem Land plateau in Australia's Northern Territory.[4]
Hildegardia barteri (Mast.) Kosterm. Ufuku
Eso, Okurugbedu, Shishi
Kariya
Hildegardia barteri is found in dry tropical forest in West Africa from the Ivory Coast to southeastern Nigeria. It is a pioneer species, and may flower as early as its 2nd year. It is tree growing to 10-13 m high. The branches are thick, and are covered with a loose, smooth, reddish-yellow bark. The leaves are 10 to 20 cm long, orbicular, cordate at the base, acuminate at the apex, palmately 7-nerved, with a sinuous margin. They are glabrous on both surfaces, or with a few stellate hairs on the lower surface. The petioles are 7-10 cm long. The tree is leafless is the dry season. [5]
The flowers are borne before the new leaves. The inflorescence is a loose branching panicle, with numerous flowers. The peduncles are shorter than the leaves, and the indiividual pedicels 6-12 mm long, and jointed. The calyx is 18 mm long, leathery, tubular, gibbous at the base, contracted in the middle and terminated into 5 short, ovate, lobes, with acute apices. It is downy externally, and glabrous internally, except for a few villous hairs pointing downwards at the base. The staminal column is appreciably shorter than the calyx. The fruit is borne on a long gynophore, which is twice the length of the persistent calyx, and is composed of 5 spreading, membranous, 1-seeded carpels, each about 5 cm in length. The seeds are smooth. [5]
The wood, like that of many other Malvaceous trees, is light. It is used for floats for fishermen's nets [5], and is also used in the production of household equipment and furnishings. The seeds are a source of condiments. The tree is also a source of fibre and gum, perhaps from the bark.
Hildegardia barteri may be propagated by cuttings and bud grafts, as well as by seed.
Hildegardia barteri has been observed to be susceptible to infection by cacao swollen stem virus (CSSV). (This virus is restricted to West Africa, and the natural host is presumably nor Theobroma cacao, and might indeed be Cola and Hildegardia.
Synonyms of Hildegardia barteri include Clompanus barteri Kuntze, Erythropsis barteri (Mast.) Ridley, Firmiana barteri Schum., Sterculia barteri Mast. and Tarrietia barteri Hochr..
Hildegardia cubensis (Urb.) Kosterm. Guana
Guana-baum
A species from Cuba, with a restricted distribution in lowland semi-deciduous forest on rocky limestone soils in the east of that country. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The leaves long, slender, petioles. The blades are large (20 cm in diameter), and are suborbicular, deeply cordately incised at the base, 9-nerved, and shortly acuminate at the apex.
The flowers appear with the leaves [3].The calyx is divided for about half its length..
Synonyms of Hildegardia cubensis include Sterculia cubensis Urb..
Hildegardia erythrosiphon (Baill.) Kostermm Vinoa
A species from the deciduous forest of western Madagascar, where it is weakly associated with calcareous soils. It is a tall tree, with outspread, near-horizontal branches. The leaves are long petiolate, ovate, palmately 7-nervate, cordate at the base, and somewhat acumunate. It has red or orange-red, streaked with orange, flowers. The style is similar in colour to the calyx, but the capitate stigma is yellow. The fruit is apocarpous, composed of 5 yellowish-green inflated pods, each containing 1 or 2 seeds.
Synonyms of Hildegardia erythrosiiphon include Erythropsis erythrosiphon (Baill.) Ridley, Sterculia erythrosiphon Baill. and Tarrietia erythrosiphon Hochr..
Hildegardia gillettii L.J. Dorr & L.C. Barnett
A recently described (1990) species from Somalia [3]. It is similar to Hildegardia barteri and Hildegardia migeodii, but differs in the presence of a stellate pubescence on the petioles, the presence of a sparse stellate and dense glandular pubescence on the pedicels, shorter petioles (3½-5 cm long), and the presence of only a short stipe below the calyx. Dorr and Barnett also contrast its undulate or entire leaf margins with the revolute leaf margins of Hildegardia barteri and Hildegardia migeodii; however other sources describe those species as possessing sinuous and undulate margins respectively, so there is some doubt as to the validity of this as a key character. Hildegardia gillettii is found in bushland, as opposed to the woodland habitat of the other two species.
Hildegardia gillettii was described from a single specimen, and fruit material was not available. Additionally the flowers of that specimen were interpreted as immature, leaving some doubt as to the nature of the mature androecium and gynoecium, and whether the flowers are, as implicitly stated, hermaphrodite.
Hildegardia gillettii is a tree, known to reach at least 10 m in height. The leaves ares short-petiolate, broadly ovate, not lobed, large (12-13 cm long, and marginally less in width), cordate and 9-veined at the base, obtuse or acute, not acuminate, at the apex, with undulate or entire margins. They are glabrous on both surfaces, except for the presence of tufts of hairs in the axils of the veins on the undersurface. The inflorescence is an axillary raceme, borne towards the ends of the branches. The flowers are bracteate, 2-3 mm long bracts, with stellate and glandular pubescence, subtending the pedicels. The calyx is red.
Hildegardia merrittii (Merrill) Kosterm.
This species, from Mindoro in the Philippines, and perhaps from elsewhere in that country, is a large deciduous tree, reaching a height of 30 m, and a trunk diameter of 90 cm. The leaves are large (blade up to 18 cm long and about as wide), long-petiolate (petioles 20 cm long), broadly ovate to orbicular-ovate, very broadly rounded and deeply and narrowly cordate at the base, palmately 7- or 9-nerved, acuminate at the apex, with an entire margin, a coriaceous or thickly chartaceous texture, and a glabrous surface when mature. The follicles of the fruit contain one or two seeds. They are inflated, tardily if at all dehiscent, and narrowly oblong-ovate, with an acute base and obtuse apex. They are glabrous, thickly chartaceous in texture, 8 to 9 cm long, and 4 cm wide. [6]
Synonyms of Hildegardia merrittii include Firmiana merrittii Merrill.
Hildegardia migeodii (Exell) Kosterm.
This species from Tanganyika, also extending into Mozambique, varies between a 2 m high shrub and a 15 m high tree. It is glabrous, except for the flower and seeds. The bark is greyish. The leaves are up 16 × 18 cm in size, with an entire or undulate margin, 7-nerved at the base, and possess an obtuse apex. The petiole may be up to 30 cm (1 ft) long. The flowers are borne in axillary racemes c. 12 cm long, borne near the ends of the branches, and appearing before the leaves. They are salmon-coloured. The pedicels are 3-4 mm long, and are articulated near the apex. The calyx is tubular, 2 cm long by 0.5-0.8 cm across, and is somewhat swollen at the base. It is terminated by 2-3 mm long lobes, which are triangular and acute at the apex and may be either erect or reflexed. The exterior is glabrous, the interior villous at the base and pubescent above. In the male flowers the androphore is about 2.5 mm long, and is pubescent except on those parts protruding beyond the calyx tube. In the female flowers the gynophore is about 7 mm long, and is densely pubescent except near the apex. The ovary is ovoid, glabrous, and composed of 5 coherent carpels. The stigma-lobes are recurved and subsessile. The fruiting carpels are 5.5 cm long by 2 cm in diameter, borne on an elongated gynophore 3 cm in length. They are elliptic, glabrous, purplish, membranaeous, with 1 cm long basal stipe. Each contains 1 or 2 seeds, which are c. 0.7 cm in diameter, globose and pubescent. [7]
Synonyms of Hildegardia migeodii include Erythropsis migeodii (Exell) Ridley and Firmiana migeodii Exell.
Hildegardia perrieri (Hochr.) Arenes
This species is found in the wet forests of eastern Madagascar, where it is one of the few decidious species. It has yellow-green flowers. The fruits are green with dark red stripes.
Synonyms of Hildegardia perrieiri include Tarrietia perrieri Hochr..
A specimen found well outside the known range of Hildegardia perrieri may belong to this species, or may represent a fourth species from Madagascar.
Hildegardia populifolia Schott & Endl.
Hildegardia populifolia is a critically endangered species from tropical dry evergreen forest of the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nada and Andhra Pradesh [e]. It is a smooth-barked deciduous tree. The leaves are long petiolate (petiole 5-12 cm long), large (blade 7-10 × 10 cm), orbicular, palmately 7-nerved, deeply cordate at the base, acuminate at the apex, and with entire margins. Individual plants are polygamous, but the sources available to me do indicate whether they are andro-, gyno- or trimonoecious. The scarlet flowers are borne in April. They form axillary and terminal panicles, which are shorter than the leaves (up to 15 cm long). The flower buds are oblong, The calyx is small (6 mm long), scarlet, with the sepals linear-spathulate and divided nearly to the base. It is downy externally. There are 10 stamens. The hispid ovary is avoid, tapering to a short style, with a 5-lobed stigma. The fruit is apocarpous, composed of 5 follicles. These follicles are up to 10 cm long by 5 cm broad, obliquely lanceolate in outline, membraneous, inflated, and strongly veined, with 2 seeds. The seeds are ovate-oblong, pale brown, and 15-20 mm long. [8, 9]
The stems of Hildegardia populifolia have been used as a source of fibre, and the bark as a herbal medicine. Papers have been published on the fibres and their use as component in fibre-resin and fibre-plastic composite materials. [f, g, h, i, j, k, l]
Synonyms of Hildegardia populifolia include Clompanus populifolia Kuntze, Firmiana populifolia Terrac., Hildegardia candolleana Steud., Hildegardia candollei Schott & Endl. and Sterculia populifolia Roxb. & Wall..
Hildegardia sundaica Kosterm.
A species from Sumbawa in Indonesia, and perhaps from elsewhere in that country.
References
Bibliography
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Synonymy of
Hildegardia
© 2005, 2007 Stewart Robert Hinsley
