FAMILY 134. SAPINDACEAE Trees or shrubs, rarely (_Cardiospermum_) herbs or undershrubs. Leaves alternate, usually compound. Flowers in racemes or panicles, rarely solitary or in clusters, polygamous, rarely unisexual. Petals 4-5, mostly with a scale on the inner face, or absent. Stamens 4-24, usually 8, inserted within the disc, rarely upon it; sometimes disc indistinct. Anthers opening inwards by 2 longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, 2-8-, usually 3-celled, sometimes not quite completely septate or with a single fertile cell, frequently lobed. Ovules 1-2, rarely (_Cossignia_) 3 in each ovary-cell, curved. Style 1, undivided, rarely cleft. Seeds exalbuminous; embryo usually curved.--Genera 51, species 200. (Including _DIDIEREACEAE_.) (Plate 85.) 1. Ovary with 1 fertile cell and sometimes 2 sterile ones. Ovule 1. Style 3-4-cleft. Stamens 8-10, inserted on the edge of the ring-shaped disc. Petals 4. Sepals 2. Flowers dioecious. Leaves undivided, deciduous. Spiny trees.--Species 6. Madagascar. Some species yield timber. (Including _Alluaudia_ Drake). [Tribe DIDIEREAE.] =Didierea= Baill. Ovary with 2-8 fertile cells. Stamens inserted within the disc, rarely upon it (_Pistaciopsis_) or no distinct disc present (_Dodonaea_); in both these cases petals wanting. 2 2. Ovule 1 in each cell of the ovary. 3 Ovules 2, very rarely 3, in each cell of the ovary. 45 3. Ovule pendulous. Ovary 2-celled. Style undivided, with 2 decurrent stigmatic lines at the apex. Stamens 5. Disc regular. Petals 5, small. Sepals 5, slightly imbricate in bud. Fruit succulent, indehiscent. Seeds without an aril. Embryo with pinnately cut cotyledons. Branches and leaves with a resinous coating. Leaves equally pinnate, with a winged rachis.--Species 2. Equatorial East Africa and Madagascar. =Filicium= Thwait. Ovule erect or ascending. Stamens usually 8. 4 4. Flowers irregular, with a one-sided disc. Petals 4. 5 Flowers regular or nearly so, with a complete disc. Petals 5 or 0. Leaves exstipulate, equally pinnate, rarely unequally pinnate (_Pistaciopsis_) or simple (_Pappea_). 14 5. Leaves stipulate, unequally pinnate with 5 leaflets or twice ternate. Herbs or undershrubs or climbing tendril-bearing shrubs. Petals with a crested, and hooded scale. Stamens 8. Ovary 3-celled. 6 Leaves exstipulate, simple trifoliolate or equally pinnate. Trees or shrubs without tendrils. Seeds without an aril. 8 6. Stem herbaceous or woody at the base only. Fruit capsular, inflated, with a membranous rind. Seeds without an aril.--Species 5. Tropical and South Africa, one species (_C. Helicacabum_ L.) also naturalized in North Africa. They yield fodder, vegetables, oil, and medicaments, and serve also as decorative plants. “Heartseed.” =Cardiospermum= L. Stem woody, climbing, bearing tendrils. Fruit capsular, not inflated, with a leathery or woody rind, or separating into mericarps. Seeds with a more or less distinct aril. 7