Aescutus HlPPOCASTANCEAE-SAPINDACEAE Sapindus 



5-7-foliolate. North China; locally in Che., Ku. Cultivated, ornamental. Fig. 220. 

 2. Aesculus hippocastanum Linn. European Horse Chestnut (R.M. 587). Tree, to 

 20 m.; fls. white, tinged red, V; fr. IX. Introduced from the Balkan region; 

 locally in Ku. Planted, ornamental. 



100. SAPINDACEAE Soapberry Family faBfrft iWu Huan Tzu K'o) 

 Herbs, shrubs or trees with small sometimes polygamo-dioecious fls.: lvs. various: 

 disk present; stamens 5-10; ovary often eccentric: fr. a capsule, berry, drupe or nut, 

 sometimes winged; seeds sometimes arillate. 130 genera with 1100 species, mostly 

 tropical; 14 genera and 16 species in China. 



Key to the Genera 

 Plant herbaceous, a tendril climber: lvs. biternate: fr. an inflated blad- 

 dery capsule 1 • Cardiospermum 



Trees with pinnately compound lvs. 



Fls. irregular: fr. a dehiscent bladder-like capsule 2. Koelreuteria 



Fls. regular: fr. indehiscent, fleshy or leathery 3. Sapindus 



1. Cardiospermum Linn. IUJ&UM (Feng Ch'uang Ko Shu) 

 Tendril-bearing herbaceous vines with alternate biternate exstipulate lvs. and 

 small irregular polygamo-dioecious fls.: infl. of axillary peduncled cymes or racemes: 

 sepals and petals 4; stamens 8: fr. a 3-celled membranous inflated capsule; seeds 

 arillate at the base. 15 species, in warm and temperate regions; 2 in China. (Greek: 

 cardia, heart, and sperma, seed; from the white heart-shaped spot on the black seed.) 



1. Cardiospermum halicacabum Linn. Balloon Vine ®|&^ (Feng Ch'uang Ko; Wind- 

 boat Pueraria) (B.M. 642). Perennial climbing herb; fls. white, V-VI; fr. an in- 

 flated capsule, VIII-IX. Introduced from tropical and subtropical regions; locally 

 in Ku. Planted, ornamental. Fig. 221. 



2. Koelreuteria Laxm. $H$|§ (Luan Shu Shu) 

 Deciduous trees with alternate 1-2-pinnate exstipulate lvs. and yellow irregular 

 fls. in large terminal panicles: calyx irregular; disk present; stamens 8: fr. an inflated 

 membranous capsule with 3 round black seeds. 5 species, in eastern Asia; 4 in China. 

 (After J. G. Koelreuter, professor of natural history at Karlsruhe, 1733-1806.) 



Key to the Species 



Lvs. bipinnate; lfts. entire 1- K. integrifolia 



Lvs. pinnate, or sometimes partly bipinnate; lfts. coarsely and irregu- 

 larly crenate-serrate, often incised at the base 2. K. paniculata 



1. Koelreuteria integrifolia Merr. UlllH^ (Huang Shan Luan Shu) (Lee 791). Tree, 

 to 20 m.; fls. yellow, VII-VIII; fr. IX-X. China; locally in An., Che., Ku., Hun., 

 Hup. Woodland. 



2. Koelreuteria paniculata Laxm. WM (Luan Shu) (R.M. 592). Tree, to 10m.; fls. 

 yellow, VII-VIII; fr. reddish, IX-X. China, Korea, Japan; locally in Che., Ku. 

 Woodland. Fig. 222. 



3. Sapindus Linn. Soapberry fe£^-M (Wu Huan Tzu Shu) 

 Trees and shrubs with alternate, mostly pinnate lvs. and small regular polygamo- 



231 



