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 trifid 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. I09. 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. W. 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. 

 (Linneea vi. 419.) 



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