Angiosp : Dicot : Polypet : Thalamifl : Disciflorae — Sapindales . VII. 



SAPINDALES (Englei) include families of tree-habit, in which the full 

 eucyclic floral construction is rarely expressed. Reduction-variants of all grades 

 occur, and may have had a wholly distinct origin. The fruits range from dehiscent 

 capsules to indehiscent nuts and fleshy drupes : in one family the limit of gynoecial 

 reduction to one ovule per ovary, setting a i -seeded drupe or nut, is constant. The 

 Rhamnales, a section of minor significance, with the androecium reduced to 

 isostemony, and the btamens superposed to the petals, is added as a matter of 

 convenience. 



Aesculus indiea, a fine Horse-chestnut of N\V. Himalya. very similar to the 

 common form, affords a typical case: a large deciduous tree (loo ft.), in moist shady 

 ravines, with decussate digitate foliage-leaves and terminal pyramidal panicles 

 (12-15 in.) of white zygomorphic flowers (petals with yellow splash turning crimson), 

 in lateral monochasia ; zygomorphy oblique in plane of seji. 4 ; corolla of 4 petals, 

 androecium of 7 stamens, and ovary of 3 carpels. Fruit a dehiscent massive capsule 

 (2 in.), without spines; seeds 1-2 in., with massive cotyledons storing starch. On 

 the strength of the peculiar androecium and the decussate digitate leaves, the type is 

 often separated as Hippocastanaceae (including Favia). 



Sapindaeeae (118 '1050), a large and characteristic order of tropical trees, 

 more generalized than AcsluIus. leaves commonly spirally arranged, pinnate or simple, 

 but also of wide range in floral reduction (following dicliny and apetal}). The fruits 

 range from dehiscent capsules to individualized drupes ; the 3-carpelled gynoecium 

 is a general feature, and the stamens are commonly 8 (or less than 10). Genera 

 have been grouped around Siipiiidus ; cf. S. Saponan'a of S. America, as yielding 

 ' Soap Nuts ' of economic significance : cf as typical : — 



Xanthoceras sorbifolia, China (Hort.), with deciduous pinnate foliage, spirally 

 arranged: flowers in erect terminal systems, diclinous; petals white (with yellow 

 turning pink); staminate flower with 8 functional stamens; disc prominent with 

 5 orange-yellow horn-like nectary-lobes : carpellary flower with 3 carpels, syn- 

 carpous, and several ovules : fruit a large woody capsule, dehiscent loculicidally. 



Sapindus laurifolius, Soap Nut of S. India, a large evergreen tree of dry 

 regions, much planted : leaves pinnate, 3 pairs of large leaflets. Flowers staminate, 

 with a few perfect : sepals 5, petals 4-5, stamens 8, ovary 3-lobed. In fruit the 

 ovary lobes separate as 2-3 small indehiscent drupe-portions, readily detached : the 

 seeds contain saponins. 



S. detergens (= Mukorossi), with 5-10 pairs of leaflets, is the representative 

 species in NW. Himalya, cult, for soap: Drupes usually solitary (1-2), the others 

 rudimentary, | in. 



Neph'elium Litehi, evergreen tree of S. China, cult, for fruit; Flowers in 

 large panicles, few, hermaphrodite, small, apetalous, and irregular in construction : 

 calyx 4-8 cleft, gamosepalous ; petals usually wanting; stamens 5-10, ovary 2-3 

 lobed, each loculus with i ovule. In fruit (edible) i or more lobes enlarge to 

 sharply tubercled globose structures (1 in. diam.) with i seed enclosed in a white 

 pulpy aril. 



N. Longana, a timber-tree of W. Ghats and Ceylon, essentially similar, but 

 fruit I in., nearly smooth, also with sweet edible aril. 



Dodonaea' viscosa, a small tree (20 ft.), gregarious as scrub in dry tracts 

 of Central India, &c. ; young branches exude yellow resin : flowers panicled, small, 

 5 mm., greenish-yellow, apetalous, with 8-10 large anthers; ovary 3-4 locular, 

 2 ovules in each loculus. The fruit is a thin-walled capsule, 2-4 valved, | in. over 

 all, each valve with a broad wing-extension. 



Seleichera trijuga, a large tree of mixed dry deciduous forest, often gre- 

 garious, the best for Lac-insect. Leaves conspicuously of 3 pairs of leaflets. 

 Flowers in drooping panicles (3-5 in.), largely staminate only and apetalous, or 



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