Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Sterculiaceae

Sterculiaceae

9.9
A former group of flowering trees and shrubs, now mostly placed in the Malvaceae family
  • noun
  • /ˌstɜr.kjuˈliː.ə.siː/
  • Archaic
translation icon : esterculiáceas
  • Recent taxonomic changes have reassigned most members of Sterculiaceae to the Malvaceae family.

Examples

  • The Sterculiaceae family once included the cacao tree before botanical classifications were revised.

  • The Sterculiaceae family includes the cacao tree.

  • Many tropical trees were historically grouped under Sterculiaceae.

  • Did you know that Sterculiaceae was once classified as a separate family?

  • Recent taxonomic changes have reassigned most members of Sterculiaceae to the Malvaceae family.

  • The Sterculiaceae family once included the cacao tree before botanical classifications were revised.

  • Many tropical trees were historically grouped under Sterculiaceae.

Synonyms

family Sterculiaceae
vsSterculiaceae
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of tropical flowering trees and plants including cacao and kola

is now considered a former family mostly reclassified under Malvaceae
sterculia family
vsSterculiaceae
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of tropical trees and shrubs like cacao and kola

is treated as a former classification now largely included within Malvaceae

Surface Forms

Sterculiaceae singular
Sterculiaceae plural

Morphology

Sterculiaceae = Sterculia (opaque) = Sterculia + aceae

A Latinized scientific family-name formation (genus name + -aceae) that is technical and not predictable to a general B1 learner.

Etymology

Sterculiaceae comes from the Latin word stercus, meaning 'dung', and the Roman name Sterculius, because some plants in this group have a strong, bad smell; this gives an easy image to remember the name. So Sterculiaceae was the name for a group of flowering trees and shrubs (including the cacao tree), though many of these plants are now placed in the Malvaceae family.