Sapindus saponaria L. var. drummondii (Hooker & Arn.) L. Benson, western soapberry, wild chinaberry, jaboncillo. Small tree, clonal, winter–deciduous, clump–forming, in range to 8 m tall; monoecious; shoots with ascending leaves, with short, curved hairs, not aromatic.
Stems cylindric, light brown, densely short–hairy.
Leaves helically alternate, 1–pinnately compound with mostly alternate 9—16(—18) leaflets with terminal leaflet absent, petiolate, without stipules; petiole not channeled but with pair of narrow grooves on upper side (not channeled), to 35 mm long, 3–lobed at base, short–hairy; rachis channeled, < 120 mm long; petiolules ca. 1 mm long; blades of leaflets asymmetrically acuminate–lanceolate and straight to somewhat sickle–shaped, < 35—65 × 5—25 mm, the largest 2 leaflets at base, trailing side narrower than leading side, tapered and unequal at base, entire to subentire or inconspicuously low–crenate on margins, acuminate at tip, pinnately veined with midrib raised on both surfaces, with scattered short hairs.
Inflorescence panicle of unisexual flowers, terminal, with staminate flowers from the base and pistillate flowers above midpoint to tips of branches, to 100 × 70 mm, bracteate; axes puberulent; bractlet subtending flower narrowly acuminate–triangular to awl–shaped, 0.8—1.2 mm long, early–deciduous; pedicel short–hairy.
Staminate flower± radial, ca. 5 mm across; calyx 5–lobed; tube short and dishlike; lobes unequal, outer 2 cupped–ovate, ca. 1.1 mm long, mostly, inner 3 lobes 1.7 × 1.1—1.3 mm, green and white, ciliate on margins with short hairs on green tissues; petals 5, equal, spreading, clawed, cupped–ovate, 2.5—3 × 1 mm, claw 0.6 mm long, white, limb with long hairs on upper surface below midpoint; stamens typically 8, free; filaments spreading, 3 mm long, white, conspicuously short–pilose; anthers dorsifixed, dithecal, 0.5—0.6 mm long, light yellow, longitudinally dehiscent; pollen yellow; nectary disc beneath ovary and stamens, 2 halves fleshy and tonguelike, dark green, producing nectar at base; pistil 1, ca. 1 mm long, sterile; ovary superior, strongly 3–lobed, pale green, 1–chambered; style columnar, from midpoint of pistil continuing to grow.
Pistillate flower radial, 2.5—3 mm across; calyx 5–lobed; tube short and dishlike; lobes unequal, outer 2 cupped–ovate, ca. 1.1 mm long, green and greenish white above midpoint, inner 3 lobes 1.7 × 1.1—1.3 mm, mostly white, ciliate on margins with short hairs on green tissues; petals 5, equal, not spreading, clawed, cupped–ovate, to 2 mm long, claw wider than in staminate flower, greenish white, short–ciliate; stamens 8, free; filaments < 2.5 mm long, white, conspicuously short–pilose; anthers sterile, 0.4 mm long; nectary disc beneath ovary and stamens, 2 halves fleshy and tonguelike, dark green, producing nectar at base; pistil 1, ca. 2.3 mm long, stigma exserted in bud; ovary superior, strongly 3–lobed, 2 mm wide, glossy, glabrous, 1–chambered with 1 ovule; style columnar with 3–lobed stigma, light green.
Fruit berry, 1–seeded, spheric, 10—13 mm, reddish brown to orangish tan, broadly heart–shaped with 2—3–lobed when immature; pulp (mesocarp) 1—1.5 mm thick, separating easily from seed.
Seed subspheroid, 7.5—9 mm, satiny black to dark ruby red, truncate at hilum, faintly textured, with hard, thick seed coat.
A. C. Gibson