Bladdernut

Bladdernut, pinnate (lat. Staphýlea pinnáta) — a species of shrubs or small trees of the genus Staphylea (Staphylea) in the family Staphyleaceae (Staphyleaceae) from Southeast Asia, the Americas and Europe.

Its name comes from the Greek 'staphyle' — a cluster, which refers to the structure of the inflorescences and means "a bunch of grapes." Indeed, the flowers of this plant are gathered in a drooping panicle and resemble grape clusters. The American name for bladdernut — bladdernut (Bladdernut) — is related to the structure of its fruits.

A Mediterranean plant, it occurs throughout Europe and is found in Turkey. It grows in broad-leaved deciduous forests, on forest edges.

A shrub or small tree with glabrous green annual shoots and yellow-brown branches, up to 5 m tall. Leaves with long petioles, composed of 5—7 leaflets; leaflets oblong-ovate or elliptic, finely serrated at the margin, dark green above and lighter below, base rounded-cuneate, apex long-acuminate; young lateral leaflets sessile, terminal leaflet on a petiolule.

Inflorescence — an oblong or ovoid raceme. Sepals ovate, slightly pinkish on the outside, petals white, equal in length to the sepals but narrower; stamens with glabrous or rarely hairy filaments. Fruit — a broadly obovoid one- or two-seeded capsule. Seeds shiny, brown.

Flowers in May. Fruits ripen in July—September.