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''Sapindus'' is a genus of about five to twelve species of shrubs and small trees in the lychee family, Sapindaceae, native to warm temperate to Tropics, tropical regions of the world. The genus includes both deciduous and evergreen species. Members of the genus are commonly known as soapberries or soapnuts because the fruit pulp is used to make soap. The generic name is derived from the Latin words ''sapo'', meaning "soap", and ''indicus'', meaning "of India".
The leaf, leaves are alternate, long, pinnate (except in ''S. oahuensis'', which has simple leaves), with 14-30 leaflet (botany), leaflets, the terminal leaflet often absent. The flowers form in large panicles, each flower small, creamy white. The fruit is a small leathery-skinned drupe in diameter, yellow ripening blackish, containing one to three seeds.
The drupes (soapnuts) contain saponins, which have surfactant properties, having been used for washing by ancient Asian and American peoples. A number of other uses for ''Sapindus'' have also been reported such making arrows from the wood and decorative objects from the seeds.
The number of species is disputed between different authors, particularly in North America where between one and three species are accepted.
* ''Sapindus delavayi'' (China, India)
* ''Sapindus detergens'' (synonym (taxonomy), syn. var. ''Soapnut, Ritha'')
* ''Sapindus emarginatus'' Martin Vahl (botanist), Vahl (Southern Asia)
* ''Sapindus laurifolius'' Vahl – Ritha (India)
* ''Sapindus marginatus'' Willd. – Florida Soapberry (Florida to South Carolina); included in ''S. saponaria'' by some authors.
* ''Sapindus mukorossi'' Joseph Gaertner, Gaertn. – Indian Soapberry (India east to the Himalayas)
* ''Sapindus oahuensis'' William Hillebrand, Hillebr. ex Ludwig Adolph Timotheus Radlkofer, Radlk. – Lonomea (Kauai, Kauaʻi and Oahu, Oʻahu, Hawaii)
* ''Sapindus rarak'' Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, DC. (Southeast Asia)
* ''Sapindus saponaria'' L.
**S. s. var. ''drummondii'' (Hook. & Arn.) L.D.Benson – Western Soapberry (southwestern United States, Mexico)
**''S. s.'' var. ''saponaria'' – Wingleaf Soapberry (southeastern United States, Caribbean, Hawaii (island), island of Hawaiʻi, Central America, Central and South America)
* ''Sapindus tomentosus'' (China)
* ''Sapindus trifoliatus'' L. – South India Soapnut or Three-leaf Soapberry (Southern India, Pakistan)
* ''Sapindus vitiensis'' Asa Gray, A.Gray (American Samoa, Samoa, Fiji)
Flora of India: ''Sapindus''
Flora of Pakistan: ''Sapindus''
Flora of China: ''Sapindus'' species list
{{Taxonbar, from=Q321451 Sapindus, Sapindaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Uses
The drupes (soapnuts) contain saponins, which have surfactant properties, having been used for washing by ancient Asian and American peoples. A number of other uses for ''Sapindus'' have also been reported such making arrows from the wood and decorative objects from the seeds.
Folk medicine
Leaf and fruit extracts of ''Sapindus'' have historically been used in Folk medicine, folk remedies to treat various conditions.Insecticide
''Sapindus'' species are used as food plants by the Caterpillar, larvae of some Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) species including ''Endoclita malabaricus''. Kernel extracts of soapnut disrupt the activity of enzymes of larvae and pupae and inhibits the growth of the mosquito ''Aedes aegypti'', an important Vector (epidemiology), vector of viral diseases.Dyeing agent
Soapnut is used as a dyeing agent for coloring the yarn of Tussar silk and cotton.Species
The number of species is disputed between different authors, particularly in North America where between one and three species are accepted.
* ''Sapindus delavayi'' (China, India)
* ''Sapindus detergens'' (synonym (taxonomy), syn. var. ''Soapnut, Ritha'')
* ''Sapindus emarginatus'' Martin Vahl (botanist), Vahl (Southern Asia)
* ''Sapindus laurifolius'' Vahl – Ritha (India)
* ''Sapindus marginatus'' Willd. – Florida Soapberry (Florida to South Carolina); included in ''S. saponaria'' by some authors.
* ''Sapindus mukorossi'' Joseph Gaertner, Gaertn. – Indian Soapberry (India east to the Himalayas)
* ''Sapindus oahuensis'' William Hillebrand, Hillebr. ex Ludwig Adolph Timotheus Radlkofer, Radlk. – Lonomea (Kauai, Kauaʻi and Oahu, Oʻahu, Hawaii)
* ''Sapindus rarak'' Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, DC. (Southeast Asia)
* ''Sapindus saponaria'' L.
**S. s. var. ''drummondii'' (Hook. & Arn.) L.D.Benson – Western Soapberry (southwestern United States, Mexico)
**''S. s.'' var. ''saponaria'' – Wingleaf Soapberry (southeastern United States, Caribbean, Hawaii (island), island of Hawaiʻi, Central America, Central and South America)
* ''Sapindus tomentosus'' (China)
* ''Sapindus trifoliatus'' L. – South India Soapnut or Three-leaf Soapberry (Southern India, Pakistan)
* ''Sapindus vitiensis'' Asa Gray, A.Gray (American Samoa, Samoa, Fiji)
Formerly placed here
*''Lepisanthes fruticosa'' (Roxb.) Leenh. (as ''S. fruticosus'' Roxb.) *''Lepisanthes senegalensis'' (Juss. ex Poir.) Leenh. (as ''S. senegalensis'' Juss. ex Poir.) *''Lepisanthes tetraphylla'' (Vahl) Radlk. (as ''S. tetraphylla'' Vahl) *''Talisia cerasina'' (Benth.) Radlk. (as ''S. cerasinus'' Benth.) *''Talisia esculenta'' (A.St.-Hil.) Radlk. (as ''S. esculenta'' A.St.-Hil.)References
External links
Flora of India: ''Sapindus''
Flora of Pakistan: ''Sapindus''
Flora of China: ''Sapindus'' species list
{{Taxonbar, from=Q321451 Sapindus, Sapindaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus