Ungnadia

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Ungnadia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Sapindaceae, containing one species, Ungnadia speciosa, commonly known as the Mexican buckeye. It is native to northern Mexico, as well as Texas and southern New Mexico in the United States.<ref name = GRIN1 /><ref name = GRIN2 /> The name honors Austrian ambassador Baron David Ungnad von Sonnegg, son of Andreas Ungnad von Sonnegg, who brought the horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) to Vienna in 1576, introducing the plant into western Europe.<ref name = CRC1 /><ref name = SE1841 /><ref name = Audubon1 /><ref name = SE1839 />Template:Failed verification

It differs from the buckeyes in the related genus Aesculus but the seeds and nuts are similar.<ref name=Seeds1 /><ref name=Audubon1 /><ref name = USDA1 /><ref name = USDA2 /> Another similar related genus is the soapberry (genus Sapindus). Ungnadia seeds are poisonous despite their sweetness, and sometimes used as marbles.<ref name=Stahl1 /> The foliage is toxic and rarely browsed by livestock, but bees produce honey from the floral nectar.<ref name=Audubon1 />

Description

Ungnadia speciosa is a deciduous shrub or small tree (< 25 ft) that is often multi-trunked. The leaves (Template:Convert) are alternate and pinnately compound with 5 to 9 leaflets. The leaflets are long (Template:Convert), narrow, and pointed with slight serrations.<ref name = Nokes1 /><ref name=Audubon1 />