Peon, Indian Almond, Hazel Sterculia, Java Olive, Skunk Tree Family: Malvaceae Subfamily: Sterculioideae Origin: Tropical Asia, Australia
Large tree of Old World tropics having foul-smelling orange-red blossoms followed by red pods enclosing oil-rich seeds sometimes used as food. Roasted seeds are edible. Seeds are above-average for angiospermous plants for the amino acids. It has unisexual flowers with a single perianth whorl constituting a valvate calyx. Female flower has anthers of vestigial stamens around the base of the stalked ovary.