SAPINDACEAE  

Trees. Leaves pinnate, petiolate; leaflets in 3 or 4 pairs, obtusely toothed and undulate on margin. Flowers bisexual, regular; in axillary panicles shorter than leaves. Sepals 5, connate at base to form a saucer-shaped calyx with small lobes. Petals 5, slightly longer than calyx, +/- quadrate, reflexed at apex, each with a thick appendage longer than petal. Disc cupular. Stamens 6-10; filaments subterete. Ovary 2- or 3-locular; with a solitary, basal ovule in each locule; style short, thick; stigma simple. Fruit 2-lobed, with fleshy pericarp. Seeds without an aril.

Shrubs or trees, monoecious, producing male and then female flowers either on the same inflorescence or on separate inflorescences. Leaves simple, usually petiolate, oblong or obovate, entire or sometimes toothed, especially on coppice shoots. Flowers small, regular; in panicles or racemes. Sepals 5, small, connate to form a cupular or saucer-shaped calyx; lobes ovate. Petals 4-6, +/- as long as calyx, villous within. Disc small, annular. Stamens 8-10, arising within disc; filaments villous. Ovary 2- or 3-locular, 2- or 3-lobed, hirsute, with a solitary ovule in each locule; style short, thick; stigma simple. Fruit usually globose, velvety, green to brown, with 1 or 2 locules aborting; splitting to reveal a seed enclosed in a jelly-like, orange-red arillode. Seeds globose, black, shiny, with basal, circular depression.

Trees, monoecious or polygamous, resiniferous. Leaves pinnate; rachis +/- winged; leaflets +/- sessile, subopposite, in 3-6 pairs, margin serrate or entire. Flowers dimorphic, subglobose, velvety; in dense panicles. Sepals 5, unequal, either elliptic or spatulate, concave, fimbriate or ciliate. Petals 5, shorter than sepals, obovate, without scales, imbricate. Disc thick, annular. Stamens 8, arising within disc, longer than calyx; filaments terete; anthers oblong. Ovary 3-locular, subglobose; with 1 or 2 ovules in each locule; style short, thick; stigma 3-angled. Fruit globose, fleshy, obscurely 3-lobed, 1- or 2-seeded. Seeds flattened, without an aril.

Shrubs or small trees. Leaves imparipinnate; leaflets in 5-12 pairs, elliptic to linear; leaf rachis narrowly to conspicuously winged. Flowers bisexual; in corymbs or panicles. Sepals usually 4, +/- fused at base to form a cup-shaped calyx, oblique at base; lobes elliptic. Petals 4, with long, terete claw; limb oblong, hooded at base and with a scale or 3-lobed appendage; red. Disc cup-shaped or flat. Stamens 8, arising in a bundle beneath a fleshy gland at one side of flower where fifth petal is deficient; filaments exserted, subterete, hairy; anthers versatile. Ovary 3-locular, 3-angled, stalked; with 2 ovules in each locule; style short, obtuse. Fruit an inflated, beaked bladder. Seeds usually solitary in each locule, hard, purple or black, +/- size of pea.

Trees, dioecious. Leaves usually paripinnate, often comparatively large, 2-many-jugate; leaflets oblong or oblong-elliptic. Flowers regular; in short or long, simple or branched racemes. Sepals 5, circular, concave, imbricate, often hairy. Petals 5, +/- as long as sepals, woolly or with scales on inner face, often ciliate. Disc annular or cupular. Stamens (8-)12-20, arising within disc; filaments linear, pilose. Ovary 1-locular, deeply 2- or 3-lobed or -partite, each section subglobose, often villous; with a solitary, basal ovule; style simple, thick, straight or twisted. Fruit separating into 2 or 3 berry-like mericarps. Seeds globose or ellipsoid, with a fleshy aril or small, basal cushion. x = 14, 15.