Sterculia setigera Delile

Taxon Identity and Growth Form

Sterculia setigera Delile is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 18 meters tall.

Crown and Trunk Base Characteristics

It has an open, spreading crown and a buttressed base.

Bark Morphology

Its grey-purple bark peels away in thin, irregular scales, leaving pale patches on the trunk; a cut into the bark reveals fibrous, brownish to red inner bark and a white exudate.

Leaf Arrangement and Venation

Its leaves are simple and arranged alternately, with palmate venation at the base, and form 5 entire or pointed lobes.

Leaf Blade Features

The leaf blade is ovate to orbicular in outline, and the upper surface is typically stellate and tomentose.

Inflorescence and Calyx Traits

Its inflorescences are racemes, with a 5-lobed calyx that reaches up to 12 mm in diameter; the outer surface of the calyx is green, while the inner surface is purple-red.

Flowering Period

Flowering occurs toward the end of the dry season, between February and April.

Fruit Characteristics

The fruit is a sessile, oblong follicle, 6–10 cm long, grey-green or brown in color, and contains many seeds.

Persistent Follicles

Empty follicles can remain attached to the tree even after the seeds have fallen out.

Species Distribution Range

This species occurs from Senegal eastward to Sudan and Ethiopia, and also grows in Angola.

Habitat Preferences

It is found in savanna ecological zones, and occurs frequently on hills, on rocky soils, and in shallow gritty soils.

Traditional Seed Use

Nomadic groups in Northern Nigeria eat the seeds of this widespread species, which has multiple uses for various local communities.

Medicinal Bark Use

A decoction made from stem bark extract is used as part of an herbal treatment regimen for skin ailments and infections, fever, diarrhea, and toothache.