Scientific name Koelreuteria Rank Genus | Subfamily Sapindoideae | |
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Lower classifications Koelreuteria paniculata, Koelreuteria elegans | ||
Koelreuteria /kɛlrᵿˈtɪəriə/ is a genus of three species of flowering plants in the family Sapindaceae, native to southern and eastern Asia.
They are medium-sized deciduous trees growing to 10–20 m (33–66 ft) tall, with spirally arranged pinnate or bipinnate leaves. The flowers are small and yellow, produced in large branched panicles 20–50 cm (8–20 in) long. The fruit is a three-lobed inflated papery capsule 3–6 cm long, containing several hard nut-like seeds 5–10 mm diameter.
The genus was named after Joseph Gottlieb Kölreuter, from Karlsruhe, Germany, by Erich Laxmann.
Uses
Koelreuteria are commonly used as focal points in landscape design in regions where they thrive.
In some areas, notably parts of eastern North America, they have become invasive species.
