SAPINDACEAE 745 



4. SAPINDUS L. 



Shrubs or trees, with erect or somewhat climbing stems. Leaves alternate : blades 

 mostly pinnately compound : leaflets with entire or toothed blades. Flowers polyg- 

 amous, regular, in axillary or terminal racemes or panicles. Sepals 4-5, imbricated in 2 

 series. Disk annular or cushion-like. Petals 4-5, inserted under the disk, naked or each 

 bearing a scale at the base. Stamens 8-10, inserted on the disk : filaments distinct, often 

 pubescent : anthers versatile. Ovary 2-4-celled : styles united or distinct : stigmas 2-4. 

 Ovules 1 in each cavity, ascending from the inner angle. Berry-like fruit fleshy or leath- 

 ery, subglobose. Seed 1 in each cavity, without an aril. Embryo straight or curved. 

 SOAPBERRY. 



Leaflets obtuse at the apex, at least not acuminate. 1. S. Saponaria. 

 Leaflets acuminate at the apex. 



Leaflets 7-13, 5-13 cm. long : petals of a lanceolate type. 



Mature carpels globular, about 1.5 cm. long. 2. S. marginatus. 



Mature carpels oval, about 2 cm. long. 3. S. Manatensis. 



Leaflets 8-19, 3.5-7 cm. long : petals of an ovate type. 4. S. Dmmmondn. 



1. Sapindus Saponaria L. A shrub or small tree 5-10 m. tall, with rough grayish 

 erect branches, the twigs, lower leaf-surfaces and the inflorescence tomentose. Leaves 6-25 

 cm. long, the rachis winged : leaflets 4-7, the blades oblong, oval or obovate, 3-12 cm. 

 long, obtuse, undulate or rarely toothed, sessile, bright green and lustrous above, more or 

 less tomentose and reticulated beneath : panicles 1-2 dm. long, erect : calyx 3-4 mm. 

 broad : sepals suborbicular, 1.5-2 mm. in diameter, ciliate : petals obovate or orbicular-ob- 

 ovate, about longer than the sepals, nearly sessile, ciliate, pubescent without : stamens 

 about as long as the petals : filaments pubescent to above the middle : each mature carpel 

 globose, 14-18 mm. in diameter, solitary or 2-3 together, shining, the pulp orange-brown : 

 seeds black, obovate. 



In sandy soil, southern peninsular Florida and the Keys. Also in Central and northern South 

 America. SOAPBERRY. FALSE DOGWOOD. 



2. Sapindus marginatus Willd. A small tree 10-15 m. tall, with usually erect 

 branches, the twigs and inflorescence pubescent. Leaves 1-3 dm. long, the rachis usually 

 margined above : leaflets 7-13, the blades lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 5-15 cm. long, 

 more or less scythe-shaped, acuminate, undulate, short-petioluled, bright green above, 

 paler and slightly pubescent on the nerves beneath : panicles 1-3 dm. long : sepals ovate, 

 1-1.5 mm. long, acute or acutish : petals white or tinged with red ; blades ovate or oblong- 

 ovate : claw produced into tufted scales at the base of the blade : stamens longer than the 

 petals : filaments pubescent to the top : each mature carpel (1 or 2) drupe-like, globular, 

 about 1.5 cm. long, the pulp orange, not drying black : seeds obovoid, brown. 



In low sandy soil, South Carolina and Georgia to Florida. Spring : matures its fruit in the fall. 

 WILD CHINA. SOAPBERRY. 



3. Sapindus Manatensis Radlk. A glabrous shrub or tree 3-10 m. tall, with widely 

 spreading branches. Leaves 2-3 dm. long, the rachis not winged : leaflets 7-13, the blades 

 oblong-lanceolate, 3-10 cm. long, acuminate, undulate, slightly curved, inequilateral, 

 bright green above, paler beneath, oblique at the base, nearly sessile : panicles 1-2 dm. 

 long: sepals ovate or oval -ovate, nearly 2.5 mm. long, ciliolate : petals white or creamy, 

 about 3 mm. long ; blades ovate, ciliate ; claw shorter than the blade, produced into tufted 

 scales at the base of the blade : each mature carpel drupe-like, oval, about 2 cm. long. 



On the islands at the mouth of the Manatee River, Florida. 



4. Sapindus Drummoiidii Hook. & Arn. A small tree, with spreading branches. 

 Leaves numerous : leaflets 8-19, the blades narrowly lanceolate, 4-8 cm. long, acuminate, 

 more or less falcate, glabrous above, softly pubescent beneath or tardily glabrate ; rachis 

 wingless : panicles 0.5-1.5 dm. long : calyx 3-3.5 mm. broad : sepals ovate or oval-ovate 

 obtuse : petals nearly twice as long as the sepals ; blades rhombic-lanceolate, more or 

 less lacerate at the blunt apex : fruit from a single carpel, globose, about 1.5 cm. in diam- 

 eter, not keeled, yellow, drying black. 



In dry soil, often on hillsides, Kansas to Arkansas, Louisiana and Arizona. Also in Mexico 

 Spring. WILD CHINA TREE. 



5. EXOTHEA Macfadyen. 



Shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate : blades abruptly compound. Flowers mostly polyg- 

 amous, irregular, panicled. Sepals 5, partially united, imbricated, pubescent, becoming 

 reflexed. Petals 5, unappendaged, narrowed into very short claws. Ovary 2-celled, sessile. 

 Ovules 3 in each cavity, collateral, rather pendulous. Fruit 1-celled (by abortion). Seed 

 solitary. Embryo with thick colytedons and a short radicle. 



