Sapindaceae Juss.

Timothy Utteridge & Gemma Bramley (2020). The Kew Tropical Plant Families Identification Handbook, Second Edition. Kew Publishing Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Note

Trees, shrubs or lianas. Sap absent from trees and shrubs. Stipules usually absent. Leaves compound, alternate. Rachis tip often aborted leaving a distinct ‘peg’ at the top of compound the leaf. Flowers often pubescent. Fruit often 3-lobed or winged.

Recognition

Characters of similar families: Meliaceae: staminal tube. Burseraceae: resinous sap, petiolules swollen top and bottom, leaflets opposite, stamens inserted outside disk. Anacardiaceae: sap drying black, style excentric. Simaroubaceae: ‘lightweight’ when dried, no aborted rachis. Rutaceae: regular pellucid gland dots in leaves, fruit and/or flowers.

Morphology General Habit

Trees, shrubs or lianas (if liana then with tendrils on inflorescence), rarely herbs

Morphology General Sap

Sap absent from trees and shrubs, occasionally present in lianas then presenting as non-aromatic milky latex, fresh material usually without strong odour when crushed

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules usually absent (pseudostipules or minute stipules rarely present)

Morphology Leaves

Leaves compound (sometimes trifoliolate, unifoliolate or simple), often paripinnate, usually alternate; with free rachis tip (aborted terminal leaflet), leaflets usually alternate, margins serrate or entire, some taxa have irregular glands (e.g. Dodonaea viscosa (pantropical))

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence terminal, axillary, paniculate, racemose or thyrsoid, less commonly cauliflorous, fascicled in leaf axils or solitary

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers functionally unisexual (usually), staminodes or pistillodes are often present, plants monoecious or dioecious; sepals (3–)4–5(–8), petals (0–)4–5(–6) free, often clawed when present; disk present or reduced to a pair of glands; stamens free, 4–14(–74!) but most commonly a single whorl of 8, usually inserted inside the disk, sometimes on the disk surface, filaments often hairy; ovary superior, 1–3(–8)-celled, lobed or not

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit drupes, berries, capsules or samaras, often 2–3-lobed or winged, may be composed of one or two mature carpels, with aborted carpels still visible at the base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds sometimes with a fleshy arillode or sarcotesta (e.g. lychee and rambutan fruits)

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Infructescences

On infructescence axis, distinctive little ‘stumps’ are sometimes left when the fruit falls (e.g. Allophyllus (pantropical)).

Distribution

A large pantropical and temperate family of 140 genera and c. 1,900 species. Now including the largely temperate genera Aesculus and Acer, the distribution of this family is more or less cosmopolitan.

Description Author

Marie Briggs

Sapindaceae, Davies & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1998

Morphology General Habit

Trees, shrubs or rarely herbs, sometimes climbing by tendrils

Morphology General Indumentum

Indumentum commonly of simple hairs, sometimes in tufts in the axils of leaf-veins, rarely fasciculate; glands of several kinds occurring on both vegetative and flowering parts

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, sometimes crowded (palm-like) at the apex of the tree, variously simple, ternate, biternate, pinnate or bipinnate, in the latter two kinds most often without a terminal leaflet at maturity; stipules lacking or small

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary or cauliflorous, thyrsoidal, paniculate or racemose

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers regular or slightly zygomorphic, unisexual except in some Dodonaea but with non-functional organs of the other sex usually present

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx of (3–)4–5(–7) free or partially united imbricate or valvate sepals

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals absent or 4–5, often with a basal claw, usually with a simple or elaborated scale on the inner face

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries

Disk conspicuous, simple, or rarely a double ring, or reduced to a pair of glands

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens 5–20(–74), often 8, but sometimes variable in number within a species, inserted in most cases inside the disk or occasionally on its surface; filaments free, terete or barely flattened, glabrous or hairy; anthers variously ovoid-sagittate to spherical, sometimes pilose, the connective rarely glandular, dehiscing introrsely by longitudinal slits; pollen grains tricolporate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary 1–8-locular; ovules usually 1–2 (rarely several) per locule; style apical, except in >i>Allophylus where semi-gynobasic, entire or 2–3-lobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a capsule, sometimes lobed, or drupe, often composed of one matured mericarp with the aborted remaining carpels visible at its base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed usually with a hard black or brown testa, which in one case contains stomata, often with a conspicuous fleshy aril or sarcotesta, without endosperm

Timothy M. A. Utteridge and Laura V. S. Jennings (2022). Trees of New Guinea. Kew Publishing. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Distribution

A family of 141 genera and about 1900 species, occurring worldwide in the tropics and subtropics and extending into northern temperate regions. Sapindaceae is a well-supported monophyletic group, now including the temperate genera Acer L. and Aesculus L.

Recognition

Sapindaceae are typically trees with paripinnate leaves with a free rachis tip, leaflets which are subopposite and with petiolules, compound thyrsoid inflorescences of small, unisexual flowers, a 3-locular ovary of which 1–3 locules develop into the fruit and seeds frequently with a fleshy covering. For the purposes of this account, the term “aril” will be used to cover aril, arillode and sarcotesta, on the basis that it is often difficult to tell from which type of tissue the fleshy covering is derived.

Morphology General Habit

Trees and shrubs, sometimes woody lianas, rarely herbaceous

Morphology General Indumentum

Indumentum usually of simple hairs, sometimes of stellate tufts of hairs or scales

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules absent, pseudo-stipules sometimes present

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, occasionally opposite, paripinnate, imparipinnate, trifoliolate, palmately compound or simple

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets alternate, opposite or digitate, petiolules usually present, base equal to unequal, margin entire to serrate. Inflorescences usually axillary, sometimes pseudo-terminal, terminal or ramiflorous, thyrsoid, compound or unbranched, bracts and bracteoles usually present

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers functionally unisexual and plants usually monoecious, sometimes dioecious or polygamous, actinomorphic or zygomorphic, 4–5-merous; sepals free or fused, equal to unequal with outer 1–2 smaller than inner 3; petals free, often clawed, occasionally absent; extrastaminal disk present; stamens 5–10, usually 8, in a single whorl, usually exserted in male flowers, in female flowers staminodal; ovary superior, 1–3(–8)-locular, 1–2 ovules per locule

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a loculicidal or septifragal capsule, schizocarp with winged or non-winged mericarps, rarely a drupe or berry

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds often partially or completely covered with a fleshy aril.

Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Morphology General Habit

Trees, shrubs, lianas, or less often herbaceous vines

Morphology Stem

Stems of climbing species usually with multiple vascular cylinders, and very often with white, milky latex

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules minute to large, present only in climbing plant species (tribe Paullinieae)

Morphology Leaves

Leaves pinnately or ternately compound, rarely simple or unifoliolate, alternate, spirally arranged, rarely opposite; leaf rachis of most arborescent species with a terminal process (rudimentary leaflet)

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence axillary (usually solitary), terminal, or cauliflorous (usually fascicled), racemose, paniculate, or in spicate thyrses, with lateral dichasial or cincinnal cymes; peduncles angular to terete, bracts and bracteoles usually inconspicuous; pedicels usually articulate near the base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers actinomorphic or zygomorphic, seemingly bisexual but functionally unisexual, plants dichogamous, monoecious, or dioecious; sepals 4-5, distinct or connate to various degrees; petals 4-5, rarely wanting, distinct, usually white or yellowish, with an adnate appendage on their adaxial surface, or the petals auriculate (involute basal margins); petal appendage petaloid simple, bifurcate, or hood-shaped with a glandular apex, variously pubescent; disc extrastaminal, annular or unilateral, entire or lobed; stamens (4-7)8(10), the filaments equal or unequal in length, free or connate at base, the anthers dorsifixed or basifixed, introrsely opening by longitudinal slits; ovary superior, of (2)3(-5) connate carpels, usually with same number of locules, the style usually present, the stigmas elongated or capitate; placentation axial, the ovules 1 or 2 per locule

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits capsules, schizocarps, or indehiscent and baccate, winged or unwinged, sometimes echinate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds usually one per locule, or less often two, exarillate, arillate, or with a fleshy testa.

Note

Notes on delimitation: Summary of the most current phylogeny of Sapindaceae is presented in the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website by Stevens [http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Research/APweb/welcome.html] places Sapindaceae (including Aceraceae and Hippocastanaceae) in its own order along with families Biebersteiniaceae, Nitraceae, Kirkiaceae, Burseraceae, Anacardiaceae, Simaroubaceae, Meliaceae, and Rutaceae. Sapindaceae, accordingly, is made of subfamilies Xanthoceroideae, Hippocastanoideae, Dodonaeideae, and Sapindoideae. Number of genera: A family of 141 genera and about 1,900 species worldwide; 38 genera in the Neotropics with about 800 species: Allophylus Athyana Averrhoidium Baill. Billia Peyr. Blomia Bridgesia Bertero ex Cambess. Cardiospermum Cupania Diatenopteryx Radlk. Dilodendron Radlk. Diplokeleba Dodonaea Euchorium Exothea Macfad. Guindilia Houssayanthus Hunz. Hypelate Llagunoa Lophostigma Magonia Matayba Melicoccus P.Browne Paullinia Pentascyphus Porocystis Pseudima Sapindus L. Scyphonychium Serjania Talisia Aubl. Thinouia Planch. & Triana Thouinia Thouinidium Toulicia Aubl. Tripterodendron Ungnadia Urvillea Vouarana Sapindaceae are the source of numerous products, some of which are economically important.  In the Neotropics these include edible fruits such as keneep or genip (Melicoccusbijugatus Jacq.), wild genip (M. oliviformis Kunth) and the pitomba (Talisiaesculenta Radlk.). Numerous species of Paullinia have been reported to be useful in the preparation of medicines, caffeine-rich beverages, binding and weaving material, and for fish, human and arrow poisoning. The seeds of Paulliniacupana Kunth are the source of the important Brazilian crop guaraná, a source of caffeine and flavoring of soft drinks. Almost all Sapindaceae are used around the tropics for fish poisoning.

Distribution

From southern United States to northern Argentina and Chile, including the West Indies. Widely distributed genera include:  Allophylus L., Cardiospermum L., Cupania L., Dodonaea Mill., Matayba Aubl., Paullinia L., Serjania Mill. and Urvillea Kunth. Restricted to South America:  Athyana Radlk., Diplokeleba N.E.Br., Guindilia Gill., Llagunoa Ruiz & Pav., Lophostigma Radlk., Magonia Vell., Pentascyphus Radlk., Porocystis Radlk., Pseudima Radlk., Scyphonychium Radlk., Toulicia Aubl., Tripterodendron Radlk. and Vouarana Aubl. Restricted to Caribbean area:  Thouinidium Radkl. and Thouinia Poit. Restricted to Mexico:  Ungnadia Engl., Blomia Miranda. Restricted to the West Indies:  Hypelate P.Browne. Endemic to western Cuba: Euchorium Ekman & Radlk. Exotic genera: Blighiasapida Kon. is an important crop in Jamaica; it is cultivated for its edible arils. Dimocarpuslongan Lour., Litchichinensis Sonn., and Nepheliumlappaceum L. are cultivated for their edible fruits in small-scale operations throughout tropical America. Acer L. spp., Filicium Thwaites spp., Koelreuteria Schreb. spp., and Harpulliaarborea Radlk. are cultivated as ornamental trees throughout the Neotropics.

Diagnostic

Distinguishing characters (always present): Leaf rachis of arborescent species with pinnately compound leaves present a rudimentary leaflet distally on the leaf rachis. Leaves biternate in lianescent species. Petals usually with an abaxialpetaloidappendage, or with involutebasal elongated marginal lobes. Key to genera of Neotropical Sapindaceae 1. Lianas or vines; often bearing a pair of coiled tendrils at the base of inflorescence (rarely herbaceous, and lacking tendrils in Cardiospermum); stems usually producing milky sap; leaves always with a well develop terminal leaflet; stipules present (usually early deciduous) ... 21. Shrubs or trees (without tendrils); not producing milky sap; leaves with a rudimentary or a well developed terminal leaflet; stipules absent ... 8 2. Fruit a schizocarp, splitting into 3, indehiscent, winged mericarps (samaras) ... 32. Fruit a septicidal or septifragal, marginicidal capsule  ... 6 3. Thyrses with umbel-like units; flowers actinomorphic with an annular disc; mericarps with a basal locule and a distal wing. About 12 species from Central and South America ... Thinouia 3. Thyrse racemiform; flowers zygomorphic with a unilateral discdivided into 2-4 lobes; mericarps with a distal locule and a proximal wing, or the locule central, surrounded by a dorsal wing ... 4 4. Petals conspicuous, much projecting beyond the calyx; pollen grains triangular, triaperturate ... 54. Petals inconspicuous, not projecting beyond the calyx; pollen cylindrical ellipsoid, with 4 endoapetures and 2-3 colpi. Two species endemic to Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador ... Lophostigma 5. Mericarps with a distal locule and a proximal wing. Ca. 230 species from the Neotropics ... Serjania 5. Mericarps with a central locule, surrounded by a dorsal wing. Three species from Venezuela, Brazil,    Bolivia, Paraguay, and north eastern Argentina ... Houssayanthus 6. Capsules coriaceous or woody; seeds partially to completely arillate. ca. 200 species from the Neotropics ... Paullinia 6. Capsules membranous; seeds not arillate, black or dark brown, with a contrasting white, reniform or cordiformhilum; plants herbaceous or sub-woody... 7 7. Capsules with completely inflated carpels without a dorsal marginal wing or with a very narrow dorsal wing; stamens of unequal length; plants not producing a white exudate. Fourteen species eleven endemic to the Neotropics, and three cosmopolitan ... Cardiospermum 7. Capsules with partly inflated or flattened carpels with a dorsal marginal wing; stamens of equal length; plants usually with white exudate. Seventeen species from the Neotropics, one of which extends into the Lesser Antilles ... Urvillea 8. Leaves simple or unifoliolate ... 98. Leaves compound... 14 9. Flowers apetalous, with 2 ovules per carpel... 109. Flowers petaliferous, with a single ovule per carpel... 11 10. Plants not viscous; flowers zygomorphic, solitary or in axillary cymes; floral disc unilateral, semi-annular; stamens 8; stigma subcapitate; fruit a 3-lobed, crustose, loculicidal capsule. Three or four species from the Andean highlands of South America ... Llagunoa 10. Plant viscous; flowers actinomorphic, in axillary or terminal racemose or paniculate thyrses; floral disc wanting or rudimentary; stamens 5-15; stigma grooved or divided; fruit a 2-6-locular, septifragal or septicidalcapsule. Primarily Australian genus with 2 or 3 species in the Neotropics ... Dodonaea 11. Calyx 5-merous... 1211. Calyx 4-merous... 13 12.  Leaves alternate, lobed or serrate; floral disc semi-annular, 4-lobed; fruit splitting into 3 samaroid, papery mericarps with a short dorsal wing. A single species from Andean Chile ... Bridgesia 12.  Leaves alternate or opposite, entire or tridentate at apex; floral disc 2-lobed; fruit splitting into 1-3 subglobose, crustose mericarps. Three species from southern South America ... Guindilia 13. Fruits schizocarpic, splitting into 3 samaroid mericarps, each bearing a distal wing. About 30 species from Central America and the Greater Antilles ... Thouinia 13. Fruit an indehiscent drupe, 1-2 coccate, with crustose endocarp and fleshy exocarp. Pantropical with about 100 species in the Neotropics ... Allophylus 14. Leaves trifoliolate... 1514. Leaves pinnately compound; terminal leaflet rudimentary ... 19 15. Leaves opposite. Two species from southern Mexico to northern South America ... Billia 15. Leaves alternate... 16 16. Flowers apetalous. Three or four species from the Andean highlands of South America ... Llagunoa 16. Flowers petaliferous ... 17 17. Fruits schizocarpic, splitting into 3 samaroid mericarps, each bearing a distal wing ... Thouinia 17. Fruit an indehiscent drupe with fleshy exocarp... 18 18. Petals without appendages; disc annular, obsolete 5-lobed; ovary 3-carpellate, with 2 ovules per carpel; stigma capitate; fruit 1-locular, with woody endocarp. A single species endemic to the West Indies and the south eastern United States (Florida) ... Hypelate 18. Petals with a single, 2-lobed appendage or 2 marginal appendages; disc unilateral; ovary 2 (-3)-carpellate, with a single ovule per carpel; style terminal with 2-3 stigmatic branches; fruit 1-2 coccate, with crustose endocarp... Allophylus 19.  Leaves bipinnate or tripinnate... 2019.  Leaves once pinnate... 21 20. Leaves tripinnate. A single species endemic to east-central Brazil ... Tripterodendron 20. Leaves bipinnate. Three species from tropical continental America ... Dilodendron 21. Petals without appendages ... 2221. Petals with adaxial or marginal appendages ... 28 22. Ovary with 2-8 ovules per carpel... 2322. Ovary with uniovulate carpels ... 27 23. Ovules 8 per carpel; floral disc complete, one half consisting of 4 short glands, the other half of two concentric erect, fleshy laminae, the outer one taller; pollen grains in tetrads; fruit a large (8-12 cm long), 3-locular, trigonous, woody loculicidal capsule. One or two species from Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay ... Magonia 23. Ovules 2 per carpel; floral disc annular; pollen grains in monads; fruit  < 4 cm long ... 24 24. Fruit unknown. Endemic to Western Cuba ... Euchorium 24. Fruits indehiscent, or a tardily loculicidal crustose capsule. Widely distributed ... 25 25. Petals wanting or rudimentary; fruit a loculicidal, crustose capsule. Four species, one in Mexico, the remaining from tropical South America ... Averrhoidium 25. Petals present; fruit indehiscent... 26 26. Inflorescences terminal panicles or racemes; calyx actinomorphic; fruit with leathery pericarp, sub-globose or ellipsoid; seeds 1(2) with edible sarcotesta.  Ten species, nine native to South America, one to Dominican Republic ... Melicoccus 26. Inflorescences of axillary or sub-terminal corymbose thyrses; calyx zygomorphic; fruits globose, baccate; seeds with coriaceous-fleshy testa. Three species distributed throughout the West Indies, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, and Ecuador ... Exothea 27. Floral disc 5-lobed; fruit a 2-(3)-coccate, loculicidal, leathery capsule, the cocci equally developed or one of them rudimentary; seeds large, arillate, not winged. One species from the lowlands of tropical continental America ... Pseudima 27. Floral disc cup-shaped, crenulate; fruit a 3-locular, woody loculicidal capsule; seeds winged. Two species from southern South America ... Diplokeleba         28. Fruit indehiscent or schizocarpic ... 2928. Fruit a capsule... 36 29. Fruit indehiscent, leathery to woody; young branches usually developing cataphyls or bud scales. Fifty nine species from Central and South America ... Talisia 29. Fruit schizocarpic ... 30 30. Mericarps winged... 3130. Mericarps globose... 34 31. Sepals 5; ovary 3-carpellate; mericarps 3 ... 3231. Sepals 4; ovary 2-carpellate; mericarps 2.  Two species from southern South America (Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina) ... Diatenopteryx 32. Mericarps distally winged, with a coriaceous, non-inflated locule... 3332. Mericaprs basally winged, with a papery inflated locule. About 12 species from the lowlands of South America ... Toulicia 33. Leaf rachiswinged; petal appendage hood-shaped; disc semi-annular-lobed; stigma capitate. A single species from southern South America (Peru, Bolivia, Argentina) ...  Athyana 33. Leaf rachis un-winged; petal appendage adnate to the petal to form a pocket above the petal's claw; disc cup-shaped; stigma punctiform. Six species from Mexico, Central America and some islands in the Greater Antilles ... Thouinidium 34. Mericarps membranous, wrinkled, inflated. Three species, 2 from Brazil (Amazonas) and 1 from French Guiana ... Porocystis 34. Mericarps coriaceous or woody, non-inflated nor wrinkled ... 35 35. Fruit with 2(1) rudimentary coriaceous cocci, with fleshy pericarp containing much saponin. About ten  species with tropical to sub -temperate distribution, 1 species in the Neotropics ... Sapindus 35. Fruit (1)2-coccate, woody. A single species native to northern and eastern Brazil, and French Guiana ... Scyphonichium 36. Ovary unicarpellate; seeds with thin sarcotesta. A single species distributed in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize ... Blomia 36. Ovary 2-3-carpellate; seeds naked or arillate at base ... 37 37. Sepals unequal ... 3837. Sepals of similar size and shape ... 39 38. Ovary 2-carpellate with a single ovule per carpel; floral disc annular, without androgynophore; seed arillate at base Two species from Costa Rica to northern Brazil ... Vouarana 38. Ovary 3-carpellate with two ovules per carpel; floral disc unilateral, undulate with an androgynophore; seeds exarillate, with a large hilum at base. A single species endemic to Mexico and southern United States ... Ungnadia 39. Sepals longer than wide, imbricate... 4039. Sepals as long as wide or slightly longer than wide, valvate. About 50 species from tropical and subtropical America ... Matayba 40. Petals with a pair of tomentosemarginal appendages; leaflets usually serrate. About 50 species from tropical and subtropical America ... Cupania 40. Petals with a single short, basal appendageconnate to petal's margins; leaflets entire.  A single species occurring in French Guiana, Surinam, and Brazil (Amazonas) ... Pentascyphus "Lianescent species often with milky sap, and polystellar stems showing ""anomalous secondary"" growth. Extra-staminal floral disc- Seeds often arillate." Key differences from similar families: Floral disc extra-staminal. Petals with adnate petaloidappendage. Trees with pinnately compound leaves with a terminal rudimentary leaflet (which does not develop into new leaflets). Notable genera and distinguishing features: Serjania:  Vines or lianas. Samaroid mericarps. The most speciose genus of Sapindaceae in the Neotropics with ca. 230 species. Abundant in open vegetation such as savannas, shrubby savannas and forest margins. Most diverse in the Brazilian central plateau and central Mexico. Paullinia:  Vines or lianas. Coriaceous to woody capsules, opening to expose arillate seeds. The second largest genus of Sapindaceae with ca. 200 species in the Neotropics. Most diverse in the dense lowland to mid-elevation forests; most speciose in Brazil, Peru and Colombia. Allophylus:  Ubiquitous shrubs or small trees. Ca. 100 species in humid, lowlands to mid-elevation forests in the Neotropics. Talisia:  Treelets, small to medium-sized trees. 59 species most of which occur in the dense, lowlands humid forest of South America. Fruits indehiscent. Cupania:  Small trees, ca. 50 species in dense, lowlands, humid Neotropical forests. Leaves pinnately compound. Leaflets mostly with serrate margins. Fruits capsular. Seeds arillate at the base. Matayba:  Small trees Ca. 50 species in dense, lowlands, humid Neotropical forests. Leaves pinnately compound. Leaflets mostly with entire margins. Fruits capsular. Seeds arillate at the base.

Gemma Bramley, Anna Trias-Blasi & Richard Wilford (2023). The Kew Temperate Plant Families Identification Handbook. Kew Publishing Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Recognition

Characters of similar families: Rutaceae: gland dots present in leaves and other plant parts, citrus or rank citrus odour from crushed parts or bark slash. Anacardiaceae: sap from resin canals, mango or resinous odour from crushed parts or bark slash. Juglandaceae: often aromatic, leaflets with peltate scales on underside, basal leaflets often smaller than terminal ones, flowers small, often in catkins or spikes. Oleaceae: flowers usually bisexual, sweetly scented, with 2 or 4 stamens.

Morphology General Habit

Trees, shrubs or lianas, rarely herbs; sap from excretory canals absent but xylem-derived sap sometimes present (e.g. in Acer species), clear, not turning black; fresh material usually without strong odour when crushed

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules usually absent (pseudo-stipules or minute stipules occasionally present)

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate or opposite, variously compound (pinnate, bipinnate, palmate, trifoliolate or unifoliolate) or simple, petiole bases often swollen

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence terminal or axillary, less commonly cauliflorous, paniculate, racemose or thyrsoid, fascicled in leaf axils or solitary

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers actinomorphic, occasionally zygomorphic (e.g. in Aesculus species), usually functionally unisexual, sometimes bisexual; plants andromonoecious, androdioecious, or dioecious; sepals (3–)4–5(–8), fused or free, petals (0–)4–5(–6) free, often clawed when present; disk present or reduced to a pair of glands; stamens free, 4–14(–74) but most commonly a single whorl of 8, usually inserted inside the disk, sometimes on the disk surface, filaments often hairy; ovary superior, 1–3(–8)-celled, lobed or not

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit drupes, berries, capsules, samaras or samaroid, often 2–3-lobed or winged, may be composed of 1 or 2 mature carpel(s), with aborted vestigial carpels sometimes present.

Note

Trees or shrubs (rarely lianas or herbs). Stipules usually absent. Leaves simple or compound, opposite or alternate. Flowers zygomorphic or actinomorphic, often unisexual, often with 8 stamens. Fruit often lobed or winged.

Distribution

A cosmopolitan family of 144 genera and 1925 species. Now including the largely temperate families Hippocastanaceae (horse chestnuts or buckeyes) and Aceraceae (maples).

Description Author

Marie Briggs

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

Shrubs or trees with watery sap, or sometimes woody or herbaceous vines climbing by means of tendrils; leaves alternate, mostly pinnately or bipinnately compound, sometimes 3- or 1-foliolate; stipules absent in most genera

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers usually small and white, mostly polygamo-dioecious, regular or irregular, variously arranged in racemes, panicles or corymbs, axillary or sometimes terminal.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 4–5, rarely none, mostly free and often unequal, imbricate; petals 4–5 or none, equal or unequal, often scaly or bearded within; disc complete in regular flowers or represented by 2 or 4 glands in irregular flowers

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens usually 8, usually hypogynous and inserted within the disc; anthers oblong, 2-lobed, or linear

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary superior, mostly 3-celled, entire or lobed, with 1–2 ovules in each cell, attached to the axis; style terminal or basal between the ovary-lobes, simple or divided, with simple stigma

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a capsule or indehiscent and drupe-like, berry-like, leathery or consisting of 2–3 samaras; seeds usually with or sometimes without aril; endosperm none, the embryo thick and often folded or spirally twisted.

Distribution

A large, chiefly tropical family of about 150 genera and 2,000 species.

Sapindaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit

Trees, shrubs or climbers

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate or rarely opposite, simple, or 1-or 3-foliolate, or pinnate or bipinnate; stipules rarely present

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers actinomorphic or zygomorphic, sometimes very small, mostly unisexual, variously arranged

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals imbricate or rarely valvate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 1–5, sometimes absent, imbricate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries

Disk usually present, sometimes unilateral

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens hypogynous, often 8, inserted within the disk or unilateral; filaments free, often hairy; anthers 2-celled

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary superior, entire or vertically lobed to the base, 1–8-celled; style terminal or gynobasic; ovules 1–2, rarely many in each cell, axile

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit capsular or indehiscent, rarely winged

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds without endosperm, often conspicuously arillate; embryo with usually plicate or twisted cotyledons

Use

Many Acer species are valued for their beautiful foliage and bark; maple syrup is made from the xylem sap of other species (e.g. Acer saccharinum, the sugar maple).