Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Archichlamydeae: Sapindales

Sapindaceae - Litchi family

Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002) Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa

Exell, A.W. (1966) Sapindaceae Flora Zambesiaca 2(2)

Vollesen, K. (1989) Sapindaceae Flora of Ethiopia 3

Description of the family

Trees, shrubs or climbers, sometimes with tendrils (Cardiospermum and Paullinia). Stipules 0 (but present in Cardiospermum). Leaves alternate, mostly compound, a few simple (Dodonaea and Pappea); rhachis sometimes winged. Inflorescence usually a thyrse but flowers sometimes fasciculate. Sepals usually 4-5, often ± connate. Petals 0-5. Disk present (0 in Dodonaea). Stamens usually 5-12, reduced, rarely 0 in female flowers. Ovary of 2-8 carpels. Style 1. Fruit a capsule or fleshy and indehiscent or composed of 1 or more indehiscent cocci. Seeds often with a fleshy arillode.

Worldwide: 131 genera and 1,450 species, tropical and warm areas with a few in temperate zones.

Botswana: 6 genera and 8 taxa.

No image yet

Links to genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Allophylus L.Description, Image
Cardiospermum L.Description, Image
Dodonaea Mill.Description, Image
Erythrophysa E. Mey. ex Arn.Description
Pappea Eckl. & Zeyh.Description
Paullinia L.Description, Image

Other sources of information about Sapindaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: Sapindaceae
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Sapindaceae
Flora of Malawi: Sapindaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Sapindaceae
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Sapindaceae
Flora of Zambia: Sapindaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Sapindaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Sapindaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Sapindaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Sapindaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Sapindaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Sapindaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Sapindaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Sapindaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Sapindaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Sapindaceae
Wikipedia: Sapindaceae
Plants of the World Online: Sapindaceae
Tropicos: Sapindaceae



Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Botswana: Family page: Sapindaceae.
https://www.botswanaflora.com/speciesdata/family.php?family_id=204, retrieved 29 March 2024

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