SAPINDACEAE 235 



B. Aril wanting. 



1. Fruit globose composed of 1-3 carpels, the abortive carpels 

 persisting under the fruit Sapindus. 



SAPINDUS 



Trees or shrubs or rarely climbers. Leaves alternate, without stipules, 

 abruptly pinnate, or rarely simple. Leaflets mostly entire, rarely 

 serrate. Flowers minute in panicles or racemes, polygamo-dioecious. 

 Sepals 5. Petals 5 or more, often appendaged on the inner surface near 

 the base with a glabrous or hairy scale. Stamens 8 or 10, filaments 

 usually hairy. Ovary sessile, 2-4, commonly 3-lobed, usually 3-celled 

 (2-4); style usually 3-lobed. Ovules 1 in each cell. Fruit globose, 

 coriaceous or fleshy, composed of 1-3 carpels, the rudimentary carpels 

 persisting at the base of the fruit. Seeds globose, bony, black. 



Distributed throughout the tropics of Asia and America. About 

 40 species have been described. Sapindus is characterized by large 

 pinnate leaves, small white flowers in large terminal panicles, and by 

 rounded, red-brown to black, berry-like fruits. They may be planted 

 on dry and rocky situations in all sub-tropical regions. Propagated 

 by seeds. 



Sapindus mukorossi Gaertner. 

 Wu-huan Shu. 



Tree 18 m. tall. Leaflets usually alternate, bright green, short 

 stalked, ovate-lanceolate, obliquely cuneate at the base, entire, glabrous, 

 reticulate veined, 8-15 cm. long, the terminal pair smaller. Flowers 

 small, usually bisexual, in terminal panicles, 12-20 cm. long. Sepals 

 5, obtuse. Petals mostly 4, white or purplish, with ciliate margins, 

 ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acute, with tufted hairs and 2 scales on the 

 inside. Stamens 8, filaments villose, exserted. Fruit a fleshy drupe, 

 single or in pairs, glabrous, yellow or orange, keeled, about 2 cm. in 

 diameter. Seeds globose, black, hard, and bony. 



Himalayas, India, China, Korea. 



Cultivated in Japan. 



The fruit is saponaceous and is used as a substitute for soap, for 

 which purpose it is considered more desirable than the pods of Gleditsia. 



