Citrus And Mahogany Relatives (Sapindales)

This group gathers Flowering Plants subcategory members belonging to the order Sapindales, a woody rosid order whose members typically bear compound, often pinnate leaves and produce aromatic oils or resins in specialized secretory cells or canals. It spans the citrus family Rutaceae, source of the orange, lemon and lime as well as the pungent herb rue, the soapberry family Sapindaceae, which includes the maples and the lychee, the mahogany family Meliaceae, prized for cabinet-grade timber, the cashew family Anacardiaceae, source of the cashew, mango and pistachio as well as poison ivy and sumac, and the frankincense and myrrh family Burseraceae, whose aromatic resins have been traded since antiquity. The shared resin canals and compound leaves link an otherwise commercially and morphologically diverse order spanning timber trees, fruit trees and resin sources.