Sterculiaceous

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Sterculiaceous \Ster*cu`li*a"ceous\, a. [NL. Sterculia, the
     typical genus, fr. L. Sterculius the deity that presided over
     manuring, from stercus dung. So called because one of the
     original species is fetid.] (Bot.)
     Of or pertaining to a natural order ({Sterculiaceae}) of
     polypetalous exogenous plants, mostly tropical. The cacao


     ({Theobroma Cacao}) is the most useful plant of the order.
     [1913 Webster]