Sapindaceae
Sapindaceae image
Sue Carnahan
  • VPAP
  • Resources
JANAS 32(1)
PLANT: Trees, shrubs, or vines, evergreen or deciduous, monoecious, dioecious, or polygamodioecious (occasionally with only perfect flowers). LEAVES: alternate or very rarely opposite, pinnately (sometimes bipinnately) compound or trifoliolate, rarely simple, exstipulate (except in climbing species). INFLORESCENCE: terminal and/or axillary, bracteate, racemose, paniculate or unilateral cymes, rarely uniflorous and axillary. FLOWERS: actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic, small; sepals 4 or 5, distinct or sometimes connate below, usually unequal, imbricate (rarely valvate); petals 0, 3-5, distinct, imbricate, clawed, often with internal scaly- or hair-tufted-appendages near the claw; nectar-disc commonly present; stamens 4-10 (rarely many); filaments distinct, often hairy; pistil 1, the ovary superior, usually (1-)3(-4)-loculed, the placentation axile (or parietal), the style simple or trifid. FRUIT: various; ovules 1 or 2 per locule (rarely many). SEEDS: often with an aril or fleshy testa; endosperm usually absent. NOTES: Ca. 150 genera, ca. 2000 spp.; mainly tropical and subtropical. Tropical species with edible fruits include Blighia, (akee), Euphoria (longan), Litchi, (lychee or litchi), Nephelium, (rambutan), and Paullinia, (guarana). The stem and/or fruit tissues often contain saponins, many of which have detergent properties, form stable foams in water and are toxic to fish. Brizicky, G. K. 1963. J. Arnold. Arbor. 44:462-501. REFERENCES: Salywon, Andrew. 1999. Sapindaceae. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. 32(1).
Species within checklist: Utah State University - Logan Campus
Acer campestre
Image of Acer campestre
Acer circinatum
Image of Acer circinatum
Acer ginnala
Image of Acer ginnala
Acer glabrum
Image of Acer glabrum
Acer grandidentatum
Image of Acer grandidentatum
Acer griseum
Image of Acer griseum
Acer macrophyllum
Image of Acer macrophyllum
Acer mandshuricum
Image of Acer mandshuricum
Acer negundo
Image of Acer negundo
Acer nigrum
Image of Acer nigrum
Acer palmatum
Image of Acer palmatum
Acer platanoides
Image of Acer platanoides
Acer pseudoplatanus
Image of Acer pseudoplatanus
Acer saccharinum
Image of Acer saccharinum
Acer saccharum
Image of Acer saccharum
Acer tataricum
Image of Acer tataricum
Acer truncatum
Image of Acer truncatum
Aesculus flava
Image of Aesculus flava
Aesculus glabra
Image of Aesculus glabra
Aesculus hippocastanum
Image of Aesculus hippocastanum
Aesculus x carnea
Image of Aesculus x carnea
Koelreuteria paniculata
Image of Koelreuteria paniculata