MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS FOR TWO GENERA OF MELHANIA (DOMBEYOIDEAE) AND STERCULIA (STERCULIOIDEAE) OF MALVACEAE SENSU LATO IN TOOR AL-BAHA DISTRICT, LAHEJ GOVERNORATE, YEMEN

Abstract

The current study present morphological characteristics of the two genera Melhania (Dombeyoideae) and Sterculia (Sterculioideae) belong to family Malvaceae s.l., in Toor Al-Baha district, Lahej Governorate, Yemen, during August 2020 to January 2022, an introductory order deals with the most significant features of taxa within the family Malvaceae s.l., synonyms, local names, distribution in study area, in addition to an artificial key for separation between two sub-families of Malvaceae s.l. in studied area, and up-to-date nomenclature for all studied taxa are presented, by using modern classification of Sterculiaceae which referred to two sub-families are Dombeyoideae and Sterculioideae within family Malvaceae s.l. The genus of Melhania (Dombeyoideae) former within Sterculiaceae.
The present study a revision of morphological characteristics of two species grow native in the studied area are (M. muricata and S. africana). The vegetative and reproductive morphological characters proved that they are with high values in distinguishing between two sub-families (Dombeyoideae and Sterculioideae) and between two species are (Melhania muricata and Sterculia africana).