0341 



GOLDEN RAIN TREE. 



Family: SAPINDACEAE. 



Reproductive system: OCTANDRY,TRlGYNY. 



The golden rain tree, Koelreuteria paniculata, Lam., Supindus chinensis, Linn., is 

 a large tree with a straight, branchy trunk and numerous branches. The leaves are large, 

 alternate, imparipinnate, with five or six pairs of dentate leaflets that are pointed, smooth, 

 and are frequently even incised or Iobed. The flowers form large panicles. They're spread 

 out and are an attractive yellow color. The calyx has five small divisions. The corolla has 

 four petals, glandular at the base and much longer than the calyx. The eight stamens are 

 crowned with upright, oblong anthers. The ovary is free and pedicellate. The style has 

 three edges and terminates in a stigma in three sections. The fruit is a membranous, 

 vesiculate ovoid capsule. It has three compartments containing three seeds. One of them 

 is likely to abort. 



FLOWERS: in August. 



RANGE: China. Acclimatized for about fifty years in parks and large gardens in 

 the vicinity of Paris. 



NOMENCLATURE. Koelreuteria, after Joseph Kcelreuter [Translator's note: 1733- 

 1 806], a German botanist and member of the Academy of St. Petersburg. 



USES. This is one of the prettiest trees naturalized in France during the last 

 century. The new leaves are pink when they unfold and retain the color for about two 

 months afterwards. They make a lovely sight among groves in large parterres. Its many 

 brilliant yellow flowers at the end of the summer make this an exquisite tree for a garden. 

 It's said to contain lots of honey and that it's a great advantage to place it where bees are 

 raised. 



CULTIVATION. This tree, grown from seeds, needs to be treated with some care 

 during its first two or three years, 



