Sterculiaceae

Sterculiaceae was a family of flowering plants based on the genus Sterculia. The family includes about 70 genera, totalling around 1,500 species of tropical trees and shrubs. The most famous products of the family are chocolate and cocoa from Theobroma cacao, followed by kola nuts. The matured, ripen, and dried seeds of Scaphium affine (Mast.) Pierre, known as Pangdahai (PDH) in Chinese and recorded as Sterculia lychnophora Hance (scientific synonym) in the 2015 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopeia, has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. The teas (water decoctions) of PDH are used in the treatment of constipation, pharyngitis, and pain traditionally and ethnomedicinal.