Sapindaceae. 



SAPINDUS L. 



Sepals 5, round or ovate, concave, either small, glabrous and petaloid, or larger, and 

 densely villous outside, the two outer smaller. Petals usually 5 densely tomentose outside. 

 each with a scale at the base. Disc annular, rarely incomplete; stamens 8 (10) free, gener- 

 ally hairy. Fruit of 3 to 1 cocci, indehiscent, with coriaceous exocarp, mesocarp fleshy 

 containing saponine, .putamen chartaceous. Seeds globose or elliptical, with a hard bony 

 testa. Embryo oily. Large or medium sized trees with numerous leaflets and occasionally 

 winged rhachis, one Hawaiian species only with simple leaves. Flowers in terminal and 

 axillary panicles. 



A genus of eleven species, mainly medium-sized or large trees, occuring in 

 tropical and sub-tropical countries, with the exception of Africa and New Hol- 

 land. All species of Sapindus have leaves consisting of many leaflets, with the 

 exception of one species occurring in these islands, which has simple and entire 

 leaves. 



Sapindus Saponaria, described by Linnaeus, is found in America in many 

 forms, which have been mistaken for different species. 



The genus is represented in these islands by two species, while one other 

 occurs in the Viti (Fiji) Islands. The species of Sapindus found in Tahiti, the 

 Marquesas, and Easter Island, is identified by some botanists with the already 

 mentioned S. Saponaria L. 



KEY TO THE SJ'ECIES. 



Leaves abruptly pinnate S. Saponaria 



Leaves simple, entire S. Oahuensis 



Sapindus saponaria L. 



A'e and Manele. 

 (Plates 104, 105, 106.) 



SAPINDUS SAPONARIA L. Spec, pi. ed. 1 (1753) 367; Forst. Prodr. (1786) 178; 

 DC. Prodr. I. (1S24) 607; Endl. Fl. Suds. (1836) No. 1534; Seem. Fl. Vit. (1866) 

 47 ; _Del Cast. 111. Fl. Ins. Mar. Pacif. VI. (1890) 143, et Fl. Polyn. Franc. (1893) 

 35; Eadlk. in Engl. et Prantl Pflzfam. III. 5. (1896) 315, fig. 164. S. microcarpa 

 Jardin Hist. Nat. lies Marquises (1858) 25. S. Thurstonii Eock Bull. Hawaii 

 Board Agric, and For. I. (1911) 6, fig. 2, pi. 3. 



A deciduous tree; leaves alternate; leaflets opposite or slightly alternate, the rhachis 

 slightly marginate or winged in young leaves; leaflets subsessile in 4 to 6 pairs, chartace- 

 ous, elliptical-oblong, slightly falcate, 6 to 12 cm long, 2 to 3.5 cm wide, acuminate, 

 rounded at the base, glabrous above, tomentose underneath; the pubescent panicles ter- 

 minal, about 12 cm long; flower-buds green, strongly pubescent; fruits consisting of 1 to 2 

 globose cocci, 17 to 20 mm in diam. which are connate, or when single bear the rudi- 

 ments of two abortive ones; pericarp coriaceous, endocarp pergameneous, pale, seeds 

 globose, dark reddish brown or black, 10 to 12 mm in diam. with a long testa bearing no 

 -tufts of hair at the base (in the Hawaiian specimens). 



The A'e or Manele is a very beautiful tree, attaining a height of about 80 

 feet, when growing in the middle forest zone at an elevation of 4000 feet. 



The bark on young trees is of a light-brown color and smooth, and falls off 

 -in large scales from mature trees, exposing the smooth inner layers. 



The leaves are abruptly pinnate, light-green, and have a winged rhachis 

 when young. The small flowers are on terminal panicles and of a yellowish 

 xjolor. The berries are round, and two or three may be found attached to each 



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