This species is closely related to Sapindus saponaria (a species restricted to the Americas in the treatment we are following), and is treated as no more than a synonym of Sapindus saponaria by the Flora of China[].

Common Name: Chinese Soapberry

General Information

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[].

Known Hazards

The fruit pulp contains saponins and is used as a fish pioson[].
Although poisonous, saponins are poorly absorbed by the human body and so most pass through without harm. Saponins are quite bitter and can be found in many common foods such as some beans. They can be removed by carefully leaching in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisable to eat large quantities of raw foods that contain saponins. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[].

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam.

Habitat

Open rocky places at elevations of 600 - 1,300 metres in Nepal[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	20.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

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[].
Succeeds in a sunny position in any well-drained soil[]. Prefers a deep, fertile, moist soil[], but plants are very tolerant of a wide range of soils, including those that are dry, stony or nutrient deficient[].
A fast-growing tree[].

Edible Uses

The seeds are crushed and boiled to make a liquid that is added to certain kinds of Indian milk sweets, known as 'rasgullas'[]. This adds a frothy quality to the dessert[].

The seeds have been used to bleach cardamom seeds, this treatment is reported to improve the flavour as well as the colour of the spice[].

Medicinal

The fruit and seeds are regarded as a cure for epilepsy in northern India[].

A decoction of the fruit is used as an expectorant[].
A lather of the fruit is used to treat burns[]. The lather is also used as a soap to wash the hair and rid it of lice[].

The seeds are used in China to stop dental caries[].

The fruit is considered to be haemolytic[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree has proved successful in the reforestation of eroded hill slopes at elevations below 900 metres in the
western Himalayas[].
The seed kernels, which are a by-product of the oil extraction from the pericarp and shells, can be used as fertilizer[].

Other Uses

The fruit is rich in saponins and is used as a soap substitute[, ]. It is squeezed, mixed with water, then used to clean clothes etc[, ]. Particularly useful for natural fibres and delicate materials, it is also used for restoring and brightening tarnished silverware[]. The fruit is also used to wash the hair and control head lice; as an emulsifier in insecticides, for polishing jewellery[, ].
A surfactant obtained from the fruit pericarp has proved effective in the remediation of contaminated soils[].

The seeds are used to make rosaries[].

The powdered seeds have insecticidal properties[].

The seeds contain 23 % oil of which 92 % is triglycerides; the triglyceride fraction contained 30 % oleopalmito-arachidin glyceride, 13.3 % oleo-diarachidin glyceride and 56.7 % di-olein type glycerides such as dioleopalmitin, dioleo-stearin and dioleo-arachidin[].

The heartwood is yellowish grey, the sapwood yellowish white[]. The wood is moderately hard, compact and close-grained[, ]. It is used for making furniture, sawing board, plywood, and boards[].
The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed - it can remain viable for at least 2 years[].
Greenwood cuttings.

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