Koelreuteria Laxm. (Sapindaceae)

A genus of three species of trees; temperate China and Taiwan.

Two species occur in North Carolina, neither are native.

1. Leaves bipinnate, leaflets entire to shallowly serrate; capsules rose-purple when young, aging to tawny-brown, valves orbicular, 0.9-1.4 × as long as wide...*K. bipinnata (Bougainvillea golden rain tree)

Bark of Koelreuteria bipinnata (Photo: A. Krings, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

Twig of Koelreuteria bipinnata (Photo: A. Krings, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

Bipinnately compound leaf of Koelreuteria bipinnata (Photo: A. Krings, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

Flowers of Koelreuteria bipinnata (Photo: A. Krings, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

Fruit of Koelreuteria bipinnata (Photo: A. Krings, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

U.S. distribution of Koelreuteria bipinnata

*Koelreuteria bipinnata (Bougainvillea golden rain tree)
(Rare [native of s. China]; becoming popular horticulturally, and producing abundant seedlings near the planted specimens; potentially invasive; Pd)

1. Leaves pinnate (rarely bipinnate in part), leaflets coarsely crenate to lobulate; capsules greenish to tawny when young, aging to dark brown, valves ovate, ca. 2 × as long as wide...*K. paniculata (Golden rain tree)

Bark of Koelreuteria paniculata (Copyright W. Cook)

Bark of Koelreuteria paniculata (Copyright W. Cook)

Bark of Koelreuteria paniculata (Copyright W. Cook)

Twig of Koelreuteria paniculata (Copyright W. Cook)

Twig of Koelreuteria paniculata (Copyright W. Cook)

Leaves of Koelreuteria paniculata (Copyright W. Cook)

Leaves of Koelreuteria paniculata (Copyright W. Cook)

Leaves of Koelreuteria paniculata (Copyright W. Cook)

Leaves of Koelreuteria paniculata (Copyright W. Cook)

Flowers of Koelreuteria paniculata (Copyright W. Cook)

Flowers of Koelreuteria paniculata (Copyright W. Cook)

Flowers of Koelreuteria paniculata (Copyright W. Cook)

Flowers of Koelreuteria paniculata (Copyright W. Cook)

Flowers of Koelreuteria paniculata (Copyright W. Cook)

Fruit of Koelreuteria paniculata (coming soon)

N.C. distribution of Koelreuteria paniculata

U.S. distribution of Koelreuteria paniculata

*Koelreuteria paniculata (Golden rain tree)
(Rare [native of n. China]; disturbed areas, roadsides; frequently cultivated as an ornamental tree, rarely escaped; Pd; Fl: Jun, Fr: Sep)