Sapindaceae

Some plants are in a big group.

They can grow as tall trees. Some make sweet fruit for us.

Many of these plants have a milky sap. Some parts even act like soap. This can happen in the roots or leaves.

These plants live all over the world. They grow in hot lands and cool lands. Birds and bugs help them grow.

You might know some of them. Maples make sweet syrup. Lychee is a tasty fruit.

Some plants belong to the soapberry family. This group is called Sapindaceae.

These plants live all over the world. They grow in hot and cool lands. Some grow in laurel forests. Some are tall trees. Others are small plants or vines.

Many members have a milky sap called latex. Other parts have saponins. These are parts that act like soap. People use them in soaps and lotions.

The flowers are often small. They can have four or five petals. Insects and birds help the flowers grow. Some plants even use the wind.

You might know some of these plants. Maples make sweet syrup. Lychee and rambutan are tasty fruits.

Some plants are used for wood. Others are grown to look pretty in gardens. There are 1,858 species in this big family.

The Sapindaceae are a huge family of flowering plants. People often call them the soapberry family. This group includes 1,858 different species. There are also 138 different genera within the family.

You might find them in tropical areas. They also grow in temperate regions. Some live in laurel forest habitats. These plants can be tall trees. They can also be small plants or vines called lianas.

Many of these plants have a special way they work. Some contain latex, which is a milky sap. Others have saponins in their seeds, roots, or leaves. Saponins are parts that act like soap. The flowers are usually quite small. They often have four or five petals and sepals. Most flowers have eight stamens in two rings of four. These stamens often sit on a nectar disc. Birds and insects help pollinate these flowers. A few species use the wind instead.

Scientists have worked hard to group these plants correctly. In the past, some groups were kept separate. For example, the Aceraceae and Hippocastanaceae were once their own families. Now, the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group includes them in Sapindaceae.

This change happened because of new research. The family is now divided into four subfamilies. These are Dodonaeoideae, Sapindoideae, Hippocastanoideae, and Xanthoceroideae. The member Xanthoceras is considered the most basal.

There are many large groups within this family. The largest genus is Serjania, which has about 220 species. Paullinia has about 180 species. Allophylus has about 200 species. In the temperate areas, the genus Acer has about 110 species. The Sapindoideae subfamily is the largest with 114 genera. Dodonaeoideae has about 38 genera. Hippocastanoideae contains only 5 genera. Xanthoceroideae has just 1 genus.

Many Sapindaceae plants are very useful to people. You might enjoy eating lychee, rambutan, or longan. Maple trees are famous for making sweet syrup.

Some people use maple and buckeye for wood. Other plants like Koelreuteria are used as ornamentals in gardens. Saponins from the genus Sapindus are used in detergents. They are also found in many cosmetics. Even guaraná comes from this family.

The Sapindaceae are a diverse family of flowering plants. They are often called the soapberry family. This group belongs to the order Sapindales. It contains 138 different genera and 1,858 accepted species. These plants grow in many different parts of the world. You can find them in tropical regions or temperate regions. Some even live in laurel forest habitats.

Plants in this family have many different growth habits. Some are tall trees. Others are small herbaceous plants. Some are lianas, which are woody vines. The leaves vary depending on where they grow. Tropical genera usually have leaves that are spirally alternate. Temperate maples, known as Acer, have opposite leaves. Most leaves are pinnately compound. This means they are divided into leaflets along a stem. However, Aesculus plants have palmately compound leaves. Acer plants have leaves that are simply palmate. The petiole, or leaf stalk, has a swollen base. It also lacks stipules, which are small growths at the leaf base.

Many Sapindaceae plants have unique chemical properties. Many are laticiferous, meaning they contain latex. Latex is a milky sap found inside the plant. Many species also contain saponins. Saponins are mildly toxic compounds. They have soap-like qualities. These can be found in the roots, seeds, or foliage. Because of convergent evolution, some species have developed foliage similar to laurel forests.

The flowers of these plants are often quite small. They are usually unisexual or functionally unisexual. This means a flower may have only male or only female parts. Some plants are dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are on separate plants. Others are monoecious, where both types are on one plant. The flowers often grow in groups called cymes within panicles. Most flowers have four or five petals and sepals. The genus Dodonaea is an exception because it lacks petals. The stamens usually number eight. They often grow in two rings of four. These stamens sit on a nectar disc between the petals and the stamens. The filaments, which are the stalks of the stamens, are often hairy. The gynoecium, the female part, contains two to six carpels. A single style usually leads to a lobed stigma.

Pollination is a vital process for these plants. Most species are pollinated by insects or birds. A small number of species are pollinated by the wind. Once fertilized, the plants produce fruit. Ripe fruits can be fleshy or dry. They take many different forms. Some are nuts, berries, or drupes. Others are schizocarps, capsules, or samaras. The Acer genus produces samaras, which are winged seeds. The embryos inside the seeds are often bent or coiled. They lack endosperm, which is a food storage tissue. Many seeds also feature an aril, a fleshy covering.

Scientists have changed how they classify this family over time. The Sapindaceae are related to the Rutaceae family. They are grouped in the order Sapindales. In the past, some groups were kept separate. The families Aceraceae and Hippocastanaceae were once considered distinct. However, research showed this caused paraphyly. This means the groups did not include all descendants of a common ancestor. The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group now includes these genera within Sapindaceae. The family is now divided into four subfamilies. Dodonaeoideae has about 38 genera. Sapindoideae is the largest with about 114 genera. Hippocastanoideae has 5 genera. Xanthoceroideae contains only 1 genus. Xanthoceras is considered the most basal member.

This family provides many resources for humans. Many tropical fruits are economically valuable. These include lychee, longan, rambutan, and ackee. Other fruits include pitomba, guinip, korlan, and pulasan. Some plants provide other products. Maple trees produce maple syrup. The plant guaraná also comes from this family. Some species, like maple and buckeye, are used for wood. Others, like Koelreuteria, are used as ornamentals in gardens. Saponins from the genus Sapindus are used commercially. They act as surfactants in cosmetics and detergents.

Finally, Schleichera trijuga is the source of Indian macassar oil.