Handeliodendron consists of a single species of deciduous tree/shrub native to China, and is classified as rare.

Description

It grows up to 15 meters tall, and grows in mountain areas characterized by irregular limestone formations in Guangxi

Guangxi

Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...

 and Guizhou

Guizhou

' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...

. The seeds are rich in oil, making them attractive to wild animals.

Classification

It is related to Aesculus

Aesculus

The genus Aesculus comprises 13-19 species of woody trees and shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere, with 6 species native to North America and 7-13 species native to Eurasia; there are also several hybrids. Species are deciduous or evergreen...

(horse chestnuts) and Billia

Billia

Billia is a genus of two species of tree native to the Americas, from central Mexico to Ecuador. The wood is used in carpentry....

, and is classified with them in the subfamily Hippocastanoideae or the family Hippocastanaceae

Hippocastanaceae

thumb|230pxHippocastanaceae is the name given to a small group of trees and shrubs, when this group is treated as a family. Its most widespread genus is Aesculus . However, the American genus Billia and the Chinese genus Handeliodendron are also sometimes included in this family...

, depending on whether these plants are recognized as a family or considered part of the Sapindaceae

Sapindaceae

Sapindaceae, also known as the soapberry family, is a family of flowering plants in the order Sapindales. There are about 140-150 genera with 1400-2000 species, including maple, horse chestnut and lychee....

.