ABSTRACT
The family Sapindaceae consists of approximately 140 genera and 1500 species of tropical trees, shrubs and woody climbers, generally tanniferous and saponiferous. When searching for Sapindaceae in the field, one should look for trees with smooth bark, not uncommonly with exudate when cut, with pinnate leaves, tiny flowers, and fleshy fruits covered with numerous fleshy appendices. A common example of ornamental Sapindaceae is Koelreuteria paniculata Laxm., the Golden Rain Tree of temperate regions. The vernacular names of the plant include Hopseed Bush and Hop Bush. The plant is used in Burma to make an external remedy. In Malaysia, the juice squeezed from pounded leaves is used to alleviate cough, while the leaves themselves are used to make a cooling bath. The plant is used as an ingredient for dart poison. The plant is called kasai by the Malays and Indonesians who use the bark externally to counteract the putrefaction of wounds.
