A member of the family Sapindaceae, native to C. and W. China laden with seed capsules, Dipteronia sinensis is a deciduous small tree found in Gansu and Sichuan provinces at 1800 metres in mixed forest cover.

The seed capsules are prolific this year each containing one swollen seed held between flat, translucent, papery carpels. These are in multiples and hang heavily from the ends of the branches. Highly decorative these are eye catching with a reddish tinge just now.

Young growth, of which there is a little at this time of year, is bi coloured at its youngest stage. The furthest points of the leaflets green, with the remainder a red shade. The deeply divided leaf has six opposite leaflets and a terminal one. The basal leaflets themselves occasionally sub divide. This gives a lush, oriental, appearance to the tree.

Dipteronia sinensis

Dipteronia sinensis