Malvaceae: Byttnerioideae, Helicteroideae & Sterculioideae - formerly Sterculiaceae

Herbs, shrubs or trees. Stipules usually present. Leaves usually alternate, simple or digitately compound. Flowers bisexual, unisexual or polygamous, actinomorphic. Calyx ± divided into (usually 5) lobes. Epicalyx bracts usually present. Petals usually 5, hypogynous or 0. Stamens 5-many, staminodes sometimes present. Anthers 2-thecous. Ovary superior, 2-5-locular or with 2-5 ± coherent carpels which separate in fruit.

Comment: According to the most recent taxonomic research by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG-III), Malvaceae sensu lato now includes Bombacaceae, Tiliaceae and Sterculiaceae, three families traditionally considered separate but closely related. In this new concept Malvaceae would consist of the following nine subfamilies:

Byttnerioideae (formerly part of Sterculiaceae, including Hermannia, Melochia and Waltheria)
Grewioideae (formerly part of Tiliaceae including all our regional genera)
Sterculioideae (formerly part of , including Cola and Sterculia)
Tilioideae (formerly part of Tiliaceae Not in our region)
Dombeyoideae (formerly part of Sterculiaceae, including Dombeya and Melhania)
Brownlowioideae (formerly part of Tiliaceae Not in our region)
Helicteroideae (formerly part of Sterculiaceae, including Triplochiton)
Malvoideae (formerly Malvaceae sensu stricto
Bombacoideae (formerly Bombacaceae)

Worldwide: 67 genera and 1500 species, mostly tropical and warm areas but a few temperate.

Zambia: 2 cultivated genera and 2 cultivated taxa.