SAPINDACE^. 

 Nat. syst. ed. 2. p. 81. 



CARDIOSPERMUM. 



Sepals 4, the two exterior the smallest. Petals 4, with a 

 scale above their base. Two hypogynous glands. Stamens 8, 

 unequal, excentric. Pistil also out of the centre. Ovary 

 3-celled, with a trifld style, and 1 ascending ovule in each cell. 

 Fruit bladdery, septicidal, very thin. Seeds with a thick funi- 

 culus which often expands into a short aril. 



239. C. Halicacabum Linn, sp.pl. 925. DC. prodr. i. 601. 

 Lam. ill. t. 317. W. and A. i. 109. — Rumf. vi. t. 24. f. 2. 

 Rheede. 8. t. 28. — East Indies. 



Annual. Stem petioles and leaves nearly glabrous. Leaves biter- 

 nate ; leaflets oblong, much acuminated, coarsely cut and serrated. 

 Glands of disk roundish. Fruit broadly pyriform. W. and A. — Root 

 aperient. 



SAPINDUS. 



Calyx 4-5-partite. Petals as many as the sepals, rarely one 

 of them abortive, naked or hairy, or with a scale above the 

 claw. Torus a disk occupying the bottom of the calyx, entire 

 or crenulated. Stamens 8-10, inserted between the margin of 

 the disk and the ovary. Ovary 3-, rarely 2-celled : ovule 1, 

 erect, at the base of each cell. Style crowned with a 3-, rarely 

 2-lobed stigma. Fruit externally fleshy, 1-2-lobed from abor- 

 tion, rarely 3-lobed ; lobes globular, indehiscent, 1 -seeded. 

 Seeds without an arillus. Embryo curved or straight. Trees. 

 Leaves without stipules, usually abruptly pinnate, sometimes 

 unequally pinnate, or from abortion having only 1 leaflet. 

 Flowers racemose. Berries saponaceous. TV. and A. 



240. S. saponaria Linn. sp. pi. 526. DC. prodr. i. 607. 

 Commel. hort. i. 94. — West Indies. (Soapberry.) 



A small tree. Leaves pinnated ; leaflets entire, lanceolate, in 3 or 

 4 pairs, the terminal ones with very taper points ; petiole decurrent, 

 winged. Flowers small, white, in terminal panicles. Fruit as large as 

 a cherry, baccate, containing a single shining black seed. — Fruits de- 

 tersive and very acrid ; they lather freely in water and are used in the 

 West Indies instead of soap ; " a few of them will cleanse more linen 

 than 60 times their weight of soap." Pounded and thrown into water 

 they intoxicate fish. A tincture of the berries has been recommended 

 in chlorosis. 



241. S. inaequalis is said to have similar detersive qualities. 

 (Linnoea vi. 419.) 



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