Sapindus mukorossi

Sapindus mukorossi is a deciduous tree with a globose crown. It usually grows up to 12 metres tall, but can reach up to 25 metres. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 60cm in diameter. The plant has been used by local peoples for thousands of years as a source of saponins that can be used for cleaning clothes etc. It is also harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. The tree is often cultivated in gardens, by temples and along roadsides in China and the Indian subcontinent, both as an ornament and also as a source of soap and as a medicine. The seeds are commonly sold in local markets.

Uses

Burns.

Parts Used

Seeds.

Chemical Composition

The major constituents of Sapindus mukorossi fruit are saponins (10%-11.5%), sugars (10%) and mucilage10. Saponins are secondary plant metabolites with divergent biological activities.

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada
Hindi	Phenil
Malayalam
Tamil
Telugu
Marathi	Phenil
Gujarathi
Punjabi
Kashmiri
Sanskrit	Hrishtah
English	Reetha, Chinese Soapberry

Properties

Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.

Habit

Deciduous tree

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
				{{{5}}}

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Greenwood cuttings..

How to plant/cultivate

A plant of the subtropical to the tropical zone, where it can be found at elevations up to 1,500 metres. It is found in areas where the mean annual rainfall is around 1,750mm.

Commonly seen growing in areas

Open rocky places.

Photo Gallery

• 
• 
• 
• 

External Links

• Sapindus mukorossi on flowersofindia.net
• Sapindus mukorossi on indiabiodiversity.org