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Approximate distribution of the genus Sapindus in North America and Central America indicated with semi-transparent circles using data from GBIF (2020) and SEINet (2020). The lighter, violet colored locations represent our interpretation of Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii distribution, while the darker, purple locations represent our interpretation of S. saponaria var. saponaria distribution. Sapindus marginatus (primarily of Florida) is mapped along with S. saponaria var. saponaria for the purpose of this visualization.
Source publication
Physical characteristics of western soapberry, Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii, are illustrated to facilitate their identification and conservation in Arizona. Larger thickets, composed of hundreds to thousands of tightly clustered trees, usually occur in riparian or riparian-adjacent areas, though soapberry trees and shrubs occur in a variety o...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii is known to occur Arizona, the northwest extent of the native range of Sapindus in the Americas (Figs. 1-2). The closely related and possibly intergrading taxon, S. saponaria var. saponaria reaches its northernmost extent in Sonora (Fig. 1). However, there are different taxonomic interpretations of the variation within the American Southwest (Kearney & Peebles 1960;Shreve & Wiggins 1964;Felger et al. 2001;Felger & Rutman ...
Context 2
... Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii is known to occur Arizona, the northwest extent of the native range of Sapindus in the Americas (Figs. 1-2). The closely related and possibly intergrading taxon, S. saponaria var. saponaria reaches its northernmost extent in Sonora (Fig. 1). However, there are different taxonomic interpretations of the variation within the American Southwest (Kearney & Peebles 1960;Shreve & Wiggins 1964;Felger et al. 2001;Felger & Rutman ...
Context 3
... soapberry stems within a clonal thicket seem to produce the most flowers and fruits, while younger individuals often produce no flowers. This phenomenon is evident in Figures 17 and 18. ...
Context 4
... 7B Ranch soapberry thicket study site (Figs. 2, 7-10) is situated along the floodplains of the Lower San Pedro River basin, near Mammoth, Arizona, at approximately 725 m elevation with a center point estimated at 32.70897° N, 110.62100° W. The 7B soapberry thicket itself occupies an area of approximately 1,000 m 2 and contains an estimated 5,200 live soapberry stems. The thicket occurs ...
Context 5
... oldest soapberry tree here is taller than other canopy dominant species (Prosopis velutina and Celtis reticulata) with an approximate height of 20 m and a DBH (diameter at breast height) of 47 cm. Figure 10 shows the trunk of this individual. Study site 1 may represent the largest soapberry thicket currently known to occur in Arizona, based on what has been recorded in herbarium records and other published records examined. ...
Context 6
... Las Guijas soapberry thicket (Figs. 2, 11-14) is situated along Las Guijas Wash in the Beunos Aires National Wildlife Refuge near the USA-Mexico border at approximately 1,020 m elevation with a center point estimated at 31.68459° N, 111.40765° W. The Las Guijas thicket occupies an area of approximately 1,500 m 2 and contains an estimated 3,000 live soapberry stems. The Las Guijas ...
Context 7
... surrounding canopy is composed primarily of velvet mesquite (Prosopis veluntina), which dominates the foreground of the image. Figure 10. Sapindus saponaria var. ...
Context 8
... leaves and stems visible in this photograph are soapberry. Figure 12. Sapindus saponaria var. ...
Citations
... Trees can reach 26 m tall, but small trees as tall as 6 m may be fertile. At least five species have been observed to be clonal from horizontal underground spread, S. drummondii (Simpson 1988, Gilman & Watson 1994, McNair & Andresen 2020, S. marikuru (J.-F. Butaud, pers. ...
... obs.). The flowers have a mild, pleasant aroma, and their nectar and pollen are fed upon by a variety of bees, butterflies, flies, and wasps (Subba Reddi et al. 1983, Tripathi & Parikh 1983, Schmidt 2004, McNair & Andresen 2020pers. obs.). ...
... The hairiness of the rest of the leaflet can vary from otherwise glabrous to pubescent throughout. Plants are often clonal (Simpson 1988, Gilman & Watson 1994, McNair & Andresen 2020. The taxon has been called dioecious (Simpson 1988), but probably the trees are duodichogamous and Simpson (1988) observed only one sexual phase. ...
Sapindus (Sapindaceae) consists of 13–20 species of trees that are well known for their soap-making properties and the utility of their hard, spheroidal seeds for ornament or games. Section Sapindus has the most wide-ranging distribution within the genus, native to the Americas, Asia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. The number of species recognized in sect. Sapindus has ranged from only one species (S. saponaria) in several treatments to as many as seven species in Radlkofer’s monograph of the family. Undertaking a revision of Sapindus sect. Sapindus, over 1000 herbarium specimens were studied (physically or digitally) and four species were studied in in the field and/or in cultivation. Within sect. Sapindus, 12 species are here recognized, including three newly described species (S. marikuru, S. motu-koita, and S. standleyi), one new combination (S. tricarpus), one new subspecies (S. saponaria subsp. jardinianus), and one new variety (S. drummondii var. glabratus). Oceanic and animal-mediated dispersal are likely responsible for the wide distribution of sect. Sapindus, and human-aided dispersal is probably much more limited than has been suggested by prior authors. The native distribution of S. saponaria subsp. saponaria is emended to include only southern Florida (USA), Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, Central America, South America, and the Galápagos. Another two species of Sapindus from Vietnam that cannot confidently be assigned to any one section of Sapindus are briefly discussed.