Koelreuteria,[1] also known as chinese lantern tree,[2] 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- tall, with spirally arranged pinnate or bipinnate leaves. The flowers are small and yellow, produced in large branched panicles 20- long. The fruit is a three-lobed inflated papery capsule 3–6 cm long, containing several hard nut-like seeds 5–10 mm diameter.
It was published by Erik Laxmann in 1772.[3]
The type species is Koelreuteria paniculata Laxm.[4]
The genus has three accepted species:
The genus was named after Joseph Gottlieb Kölreuter (1733-1806), from Karlsruhe, Germany, by Erich Laxmann.
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.