Malvaceae

Adansonia

Adansonia

Genus of monumental trees known as baobabs, belonging to the Malvaceae family. Comprises 9 species: one in continental Africa, one in Australia, and seven endemic to Madagascar. They are famous for their enormous, barrel-shaped trunks capable of storing thousands of liters of water, fire-resistant bark, multi-century longevity, and their ecological role as providers of food and shelter for numerous wildlife species.

Bombax

Bombax

Genus of large tropical trees in the family Malvaceae (subfamily Bombacoideae), native to southern and southeastern Asia and northern Australia. Their spectacular scarlet-red flowers, which emerge before the leaves on bare branches, make them one of the most impressive flowering trees in the world. The trunk, often armed with conical prickles, harbours spongy water-storing tissue. The seeds are surrounded by a silky fibre (kapok).

Brachychiton

Brachychiton

Genus of about 30 trees and shrubs native to Australia and New Guinea, commonly known as "bottle trees" or "kurrajong". Many species develop swollen trunks or bases that store water and carbohydrate reserves, an adaptation to the dry Mediterranean climate and Australian savannas. Their colorful bell-shaped flowers make them highly prized ornamental trees in warm regions worldwide.

Ceiba

Ceiba

Chorisia

Chorisia

Genus of large trees belonging to the family Malvaceae (subfamily Bombacoideae). Species are characterised by a bottle-shaped trunk covered with conical spines that stores water to survive seasonal droughts. They produce showy 5-petalled flowers and capsules filled with silky fibre. Many current authors merge this genus into Ceiba.

Firmiana

Firmiana

Genus of deciduous trees in the family Malvaceae (subfamily Sterculioideae) distributed mainly in East and tropical Asia (China, Japan, India, Indochina) with some species in tropical Africa. The genus is named after Karl Josef von Firmian, governor of the Duchy of Milan in the 18th century and patron of the sciences. The best-known species is F. simplex (Chinese parasol tree), famous for its large, lobed leaves, very ornamental follicle fruits (the follicles open and expose seeds at the rim), and light wood. Some tropical species produce very showy orange to vivid red flowers.

Hibiscus

Hibiscus

Cosmopolitan genus of the Malvaceae family with around 300 species of tropical and subtropical herbs, shrubs and trees. Some species have tuberous roots or succulent stems adapted to seasonal drought. Flowers are large, showy, with free petals and a characteristic staminal column. Widely cultivated as ornamental, medicinal and food plant worldwide.

Pachira

Pachira

Pseudobombax

Pseudobombax

Genus of tropical and subtropical caudiciform trees in family Malvaceae (tribe Bombacoideae), distributed from Mexico and Central America to northern Argentina, with greatest diversity in the Brazilian Cerrado. The name Pseudobombax ("false Bombax") reflects its morphological similarity to the genus Bombax from which it was separated. They are trees with frequently swollen or conical trunks, deciduous, whose spectacular flowering occurs directly on the bare branches before the leaves emerge. The large flowers, with numerous elongated stamens forming a brush of white, pink or red colour, are pollinated mainly by bats and moths. The woody caudex in bonsai forms and the spectacle of their flowering make them highly coveted in caudiciform collections. The genus comprises approximately 20–30 species.

Sterculia

Sterculia

Genus of tropical and subtropical trees in the family Malvaceae (subfamily Sterculioideae), with around 150–200 species distributed across Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific. Many species develop prominent, striking trunks; some show notable adaptations to arid zones or island habitats. Flowers are small but produced in large panicles; fruits are showy woody follicles that open to reveal colourful seeds. The genus is named after Sterculus, the Roman god of manure, alluding to the fetid smell of the flowers of some species.