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Soapberries, Cashews, Mahoganies and Allies of Zihuatanejo

ORDER ROSALES

Serjania

Serjania (Genus)

Flowers by Colour

-Plants (Kingdom Plantae)

-Vascular Plants (Phylum Tracheophyta)

-Flowering Plants (Subphylum Angiospermae)

-Dicots (Class Magnoliopsida)

-Soapberries, Cashews, Mahoganies, and Allies (Order Sapindales)

-Soapberry Family (Family Sapindaceae)

-Genus Serjania


Serjania is a genus of small evergreen trees native to tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America. It typically grows in moist, shaded areas, such as rainforests, and can reach heights of up 65ft. Its striking foliage and bright flowers make it an ideal subject for nature photography. The distinctive flowers are typically white with yellow streaks and can appear throughout the year. Sarjania is also a popular ornamental plant, often used in gardens and parks.

Description

• Serjania is a genus of flowering plants in the soapberry family (Sapindaceae), consisting mainly of woody climbing vines.

• The stems often have distinctive ridges or multiple vascular cylinders, and many species climb using tendrils or by twining through surrounding vegetation.

• The leaves are usually alternate and compound, commonly divided into three leaflets or more.

• Small flowers grow in clusters and typically have four or five petals, often white, greenish, or yellowish.

• The fruit is distinctive, usually splitting into three winged sections that help with wind dispersal.

Range

• Serjania is native to the tropical and subtropical Americas, with its greatest diversity in Central and South America.

• Numerous species occur in Mexico, including the Zihuatanejo region of Guerrero.

Habitat

• Commonly grows in tropical dry forests, seasonally dry woodland, scrub, and forest margins.

• Climbs over shrubs and trees in sunny openings and along forest edges.

• Many species tolerate seasonal drought and are particularly noticeable in vegetation during the dry season.

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