Sapindaceae
Soapberry/Lychee family
Trees with compound leaves and arillate seeds. Many have saponins. Includes lychee, longan, rambutan, bael, and soapberry.
Browse all 22 species ↓
Alternate, usually pinnately compound leaves on trees, shrubs, or tendril-climbers; small, often unisexual and slightly irregular flowers ripen into a fruit whose seed is wrapped in a bright, fleshy aril, as in lychee's edible flesh.
Many genera contain saponins — soap-like compounds in bark, fruit, or seed that froth when shaken with water, the trait that gives the family its name (soapberry).
Which Sapindaceae species is this?
Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Sapindaceae species.
How to recognise the Sapindaceae family
- 01
Leaf arrangement: alternate
- 02
Leaf type: pinnate compound
- 03
Growth forms: tree/shrub/vine
- 04
Inflorescence: panicle/raceme
- 05
Fruit: capsule/samara/drupe
Typical leaf characters
Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.
Typical flower & fruit
- Flower symmetryActinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- InflorescencePanicle
- FruitCapsule
Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.
Notable members
All 22 species in SAPINDACEAE
- Japanese MapleAcer palmatum
- Indian Horse-ChestnutAesculus indica
- TipanAllophylus cobbe
- Toothed-Leaf AllophylusAllophylus serratus
- Faux PersilCardiospermum canescens
- Balloon-Vine Heart-Seed, Heart's Pea, Balloon Vine, Blister Creeper, Heart's Pea, Heart SeedCardiospermum halicacabum
- Longan Eyeball Tree, Longan TreeDimocarpus longan
- Hopseed Bush, Switch SorrelDodonaea viscosa
- Fern Leaf TreeFilicium decipiens
- Dolls Eyes, Mogum-MogumHarpullia arborea
- Wild AphaniaLepisanthes tetraphylla
- Litchi, LycheeLitchi chinensis
- Black Pearl TreeMajidea zanguebarica
- RambutanNephelium lappaceum
- Soapnut TreeSapindus emarginatus
- ReethaSapindus mukorossi
- Soapnut TreeSapindus trifoliatus
- Ceylon Oak, Macassar-Oil TreeSchleichera oleosa
- Ceylon OakSchleichera trijuga
- Lepisanthes rubiginosa
- Lepisanthes senegalensis
- Otonephelium stipulaceum
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