Bombacoideae

Bombacoideae is a subfamily of the mallow family, Malvaceae. It contains herbaceous and woody plants. Their leaves are alternate, commonly palmately lobed, with small and caducous stipules. The flowers are hermaphroditic and actinomorphic; the calyx has 5 sepals united at the base, which are not accompanied by an epicalyx. The corolla has 5 free petals and an androecium of numerous stamens, typically with free filaments which are not fused in a staminal tube. The pollen is smooth and the ovary superior and pluricarpellate. The fruits are schizocarpous or capsular.

Genera

Adansonia L. - baobabsAguiaria DuckeBernoullia Oliv.Bombax L.Camptostemon Mast.Catostemma Benth.Cavanillesia Ruiz & Pav.Ceiba Mill.Chiranthodendron Larreat.Eriotheca Schott & Endl.Fremontodendron CovilleGyranthera PittierHuberodendron DuckeLagunaria Rchb.Matisia Humb. & Bonpl.Neobuchia Urb.Ochroma Sw.Pachira Aubl.Patinoa Cuatrec.Pentaplaris L.O.Williams & Standl.Phragmotheca Cuatrec.Pseudobombax DugandQuararibea Aubl.Rhodognaphalon RobertyScleronema Benth.Septotheca Ulbr.Spirotheca Ulbr.Uladendron Marc.-Berti

Classification

Some taxa in this subfamily were previously grouped under the now-obsolete family Bombacaceae, as recent phylogenetic research has shown that Bombacaceae as traditionally circumscribed is not a monophyletic group. Camptostemon, Lagunaria, Pentaplaris and Uladendron might more appropriately be placed in Malvoideae, as might the tribe Matisieae.