Malvaceae Info (home) Hermannia is a genus within the family
Malvaceae sensu APG, previously placed in Sterculiaceae or
Byttneriaceae. It is particularly closely related to
Dicarpidium, Melochia and Waltheria. The 100 plus species of
Hermannia have a mostly African and extratropical distibution,
with a few species in other dry subtropical regions, from North
America to Australia. Hermannias are perennial herbs, subshrubs
or shrubs. The flowers are yellow, or less often red, orange,
violet or white. Some species of Hermannia are toxic. [ These
pages are currently rather sketchy. A page had been produced for
Gilesia before Bayer's revision of Malvaceae; an outline of The
Hermannia Pages has been produced to provide a context a revised
"Gilesia" page. ] Hermannia is distinguished from Melochia,
Walteria and Dicarpidium by the possesions of 5 antesepalous
ovary locules with several to many ±horizontal ovules; Melochia
has antepetalous locules with two ascending ovules, Dicarpidium
is biloculate and Waltheria unil