Theflowers are small andunisexual, or functionally unisexual, though plants may be eitherdioecious or monoecious. They are usually found incymes grouped inpanicles. They most often have four or fivepetals andsepals (petals are absent inDodonaea). Thestamens range from four to 10, usually on anectar disc between the petals and stamens, their filaments are often hairy. The most frequent number is eight, in two rings of four. Thegynoecium contains two or threecarpels, sometimes up to six. The usually singlestyle has a lobed stigma. Most often they arepollinated bybirds orinsects, with a few species pollinated bywind.[4]
The Sapindaceae are related to theRutaceae, and both are usually placed in an orderSapindales orRutales, depending on whether they are kept separate and which name is used for the order.[4] The mostbasal member appears to beXanthoceras.[citation needed] Some authors formerly maintained some or all ofHippocastanaceae andAceraceae, however this resulted inparaphyly.[4][5] The formerPtaeroxylaceae, now placed in Rutaceae, were sometimes placed in Sapindaceae.[6] The family is divided into four subfamilies,Dodonaeoideae (about 38 genera),Sapindoideae (about 114 genera),Hippocastanoideae (5 genera) andXanthoceroideae (1 genus). The largest genera areSerjania (about 220 species),Paullinia (about 180 species), andAllophylus (about 200 species) in the tropical Sapindoideae andAcer (about 110 species) in the temperate Hippocastanoideae.[7]: 294
^abHarrington, Mark G.; Karen J. Edwards; Sheila A. Johnson; Mark W. Chase; Paul A. Gadek (2005). "Phylogenetic inference in Sapindaceaesensu lato using plastidmatK andrbcL DNA sequences".Syst Bot.30 (2):366–382.doi:10.1600/0363644054223549.S2CID85868684.
^Watson, L. & Dallwitz, M.J. (2007)."Sapindaceae Juss".The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. Retrieved2007-08-27.
^V.H. Heywood; R.K. Brummit; A. Culham; O. Seberg (2007).Flowering plant families of the world. Firefly Books Ltd.ISBN978-1-55407-206-4.
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