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{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants in the lychee family Sapindaceae}}
{{ taxobox
{{distinguish|Soapnet}}
| image = Sapindus marginatus.jpg
{{Automatic taxobox
| image_caption = ''[[Sapindus marginatus]]'' shrubs
| image = Sapindus marginatus.jpg
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| image_caption = ''[[Sapindus marginatus]]'' shrubs
| unranked_divisio = [[Flowering plant|Angiosperms]]
| taxon = Sapindus
| unranked_classis = [[Eudicots]]
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
| unranked_ordo = [[Rosids]]
| synonyms = ''Dittelasma'' <small>Hook.f.</small><ref name="GRIN">{{cite web|url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?10707 |title=Genus: ''Sapindus'' L. |work=Germplasm Resources Information Network |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |date=2007-10-05 |access-date=2010-01-13}}</ref>
| ordo = [[Sapindales]]
| type_species = ''[[Sapindus saponaria]]''
| familia = [[Sapindaceae]]
| type_species_authority = L.<!--1753--><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40029469 |title=''Sapindus'' L. |work=TROPICOS |publisher=Missouri Botanical Garden |access-date=2010-01-13}}</ref>
| subfamilia = [[Sapindoideae]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| genus = '''''Sapindus'''''
| subdivision = See text
| genus_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
| synonyms = ''Dittelasma'' <small>Hook.f.</small><ref name="GRIN">{{cite web |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?10707 |title=''Sapindus'' L. |work=Germplasm Resources Information Network |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |date=2007-10-05 |accessdate=2010-01-13}}</ref>
| type_species = ''[[Sapindus saponaria]]''
| type_species_authority = L., 1753<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40029469 |title=''Sapindus'' L. |work=TROPICOS |publisher=Missouri Botanical Garden |accessdate=2010-01-13}}</ref>
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See text
}}
}}


'''''Sapindus''''' is a genus of about five to twelve species of [[shrub]]s and small [[tree]]s in the [[Lychee]] family,<!---Introducing this genus as belonging to soapberry family is nonsensical, since it contains the only species known as soapberries. I would use maple as a representative of the family, but the placement of Acer in it is rather recent and not completely agreed upon.---> [[Sapindaceae]], native to warm [[temperate]] to [[Tropics|tropical]] regions in both the [[Old World]] and [[New World]]. The genus includes both [[deciduous]] and [[evergreen]] species. Common names include '''soapberry''' and '''soapnut''', both names referring to the use of the [[fruit]] pulp to make [[soap]].
'''''Sapindus''''' is a genus of about thirteen species of [[shrub]]s and small [[tree]]s in the [[lychee]] family,<!---Introducing this genus as belonging to soapberry family is nonsensical, since it contains the only species known as soapberries. I would use maple as a representative of the family, but the placement of Acer in it is rather recent and not completely agreed upon.---> [[Sapindaceae]] and tribe [[Sapindeae]]. It is 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'''<ref name="ITIS">{{ITIS |id=28695 |taxon=''Sapindus'' |accessdate=2010-11-01}}</ref> 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]]".<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zIOvJSJs-IkC |first=Umberto |last=Quattrocchi |title=CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology |volume=IV R-Z |year=2000 |publisher=Taylor & Francis US |isbn=978-0-8493-2678-3 |page=2381}}</ref>


The [[leaf|leaves]] are alternate, {{convert|15|-|40|cm|in|abbr=on}} long, [[pinnate]], with 14-30 [[leaflet]]s, the terminal leaflet often absent. The [[flower]]s form in large [[panicle]]s, each flower small, creamy white. The [[fruit]] is a small leathery-skinned [[drupe]] {{convert|1|-|2|cm|abbr=on}} in diameter, yellow ripening blackish, containing one to three [[seed]]s.
The [[leaf|leaves]] are alternate, {{convert|15|-|40|cm|in|abbr=on}} long, [[pinnate]] (except in ''S. oahuensis'', which has simple leaves), with 14-30 [[leaflet (botany)|leaflets]], the terminal leaflet often absent. The [[flower]]s form in large [[panicle]]s, each flower small, creamy white. The [[fruit]] is a small leathery-skinned [[drupe]] {{convert|1|-|2|cm|abbr=on}} in diameter, yellow ripening blackish, containing one to three [[seed]]s.

Soapberries contain [[saponin]]s which are a natural [[surfactant]]. They have been used for washing for thousands of years by various peoples, such as the [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]].<ref>{{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/?id=eS7lX_rC3GEC |title=Florida Ethnobotany |first=Daniel F. |last=Austin |coauthors=P. Narodny Honychurch |publisher=CRC Press |year=2004 |isbn=9780849323324 |pages=601–603}}</ref> Because of their appeal as a natural and ecologically friendly alternative to synthetic surfacants, soapberries are being considered for commercial use in [[cosmetics]] and [[detergent]]s as well as many other products.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.personalcaremagazine.com/Story.aspx?Story=4325 |title=Soap Nut Saponins Create Powerful Natural Surfactant |first=Karin |last=Stoffels |month=September |year=2008 |journal=Personal Care Magazine |publisher=Jeen International Corporation}}</ref>


== Uses ==
== Uses ==
[[File:Soapnut as a natural dye.jpg|thumb|Soapnut is used with natural dyes to color the yarn of Tasar silk.]]
[[File:Sapindus emarginatus in Hyderabad W IMG 4650.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Sapindus emarginatus]]'' leaves in [[Hyderabad, India]]]]
[[File:Sapindus emarginatus in Hyderabad W IMG 4650.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Sapindus emarginatus]]'' leaves, India]]


The drupes (soapnuts) contain [[saponin]]s, which have [[surfactant]] properties, having been used for washing by ancient Asian and American peoples.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eS7lX_rC3GEC |title=Florida Ethnobotany |first=Daniel F. |last=Austin |publisher=CRC Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-8493-2332-4 |pages=601–603}}</ref><ref name="Anti-leishmanial">{{cite journal |title=Highly potent anti-leishmanial derivatives of hederagenin, a triperpenoid from Sapindus saponaria L. |journal=European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry |date=November 2016 |doi=10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.08.030 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0223523416306730 |last1=Rodríguez-Hernández |first1=Diego |last2=Barbosa |first2=Luiz C.A. |last3=Demuner |first3=Antonio J. |last4=De Almeida |first4=Raquel M. |last5=Fujiwara |first5=Ricardo T. |last6=Ferreira |first6=Sebastião R. |volume=124 |pages=153–159 |pmid=27569196 }}</ref> A number of other uses for ''Sapindus'' have also been reported such as making arrows from the wood and decorative objects from the seeds.<ref name="SapindusAZ">{{cite journal |title=Soapberry (''Sapindus'') in Arizona |journal=Phytoneuron |date=November 2020 |url=http://www.phytoneuron.net/2020Phytoneuron/78PhytoN-SapindusArizona.pdf}}</ref>
Soap nuts have historically been used in [[Folk medicine|folk remedies]] as a [[mucolytic agent]]<ref name="maiti1968">{{Cite news | author1= P. C. Maiti | author2= S. Roy | author3= and A. Roy | date = November 1968 | title = Chemical investigation of Indian soapnut, ''Sapindus laurifolius'' Vahl. | periodical = Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences | publisher = Birkhäuser Basel | volume = 24 | issue = 11 | pages = 1091 | url = http://www.springerlink.com/content/x583466412mg2686/ | issn = 1420-682X (Print) 1420-9071 (Online) | doi = 10.1007/BF02147773 | accessdate = 16 August 2009 }}</ref>, [[Vomiting#Emetics|emetic]]<ref name="ethnopharm2004"/>, [[Birth control|contraceptive]]<ref name='sp2'/>, and for treatment of excessive salivation<ref name="maiti1968"/>, [[epilepsy]]<ref name="maiti1968"/><ref name='arulmozhi2005'/>, and to treat [[Chlorosis (medicine)|chlorosis]]<ref name="maiti1968"/>. The effectiveness of some of these folk-remedy treatments have not been subject to extensive scientific scrutiny. However, modern scientific medical research has investigated the use of soap nuts in treating migraines.<ref name="ethnopharm2004">{{Cite news | author1=D.K. Arulmozhi | author2=A. Veeranjaneyulu | author3=S.L. Bodhankar | author4=S.K. Arora | publication-date = 8 February 2005 | date = 17 February 2004 | title = Pharmacological studies of the aqueous extract of ''Sapindus trifoliatus'' on central nervous system: possible antimigraine mechanisms | periodical = Journal of Ethnopharmacology | publisher = Elsevier Ireland Ltd. | volume = 97 | issue = 3 | pages = 491–496 | url = http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T8D-4FF9HB5-2&_user=145269&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=982029748&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000012078&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=145269&md5=aa0736b50a31c325ae551b6439ee3b27 | doi = 10.1016/j.jep.2004.12.012 | accessdate = 16 August 2009 }}</ref><ref name='arulmozhi2005'>{{Cite news | author1=D.K. Arulmozhi | author2=A. Veeranjaneyulu | author3=S.L. Bodhankar | author4=S.K. Arora | date = March 2005 | title = Effect of ''Sapindus trifoliatus'' on hyperalgesic ''in vivo'' migraine models | periodical = Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research | volume = 38 | issue = 3 | pages = 469–475 | url = http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0100-879X2005000300019&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en | doi = 10.1590/S0100-879X2005000300019 | accessdate = 16 August 2009 }}</ref>


=== Folk medicine ===
Investigation of the contraceptive capability of plant saponins have shown some [[Spermicide|spermicidal]] capacity for certain extracts.<ref name='sp2'>S. Garg, G. Doncel, S. Chabra, S.N. Upadhyay and G.P. Talwar, Synergistic spermicidal activity of neem seed extract, reetha saponins and quinine hydrochloride. Contraception 50 (1994), pp. 185–190.</ref><ref name='sp1'>B.S. Setty, V.P. Kamboj and N.M. Khanna, Screening of Indian Plants for biological activity Part. VII. Spermicidal activity of Indian plants. Indian J Exp Biol 15 (1977), pp. 231–232.</ref> While the ''Sapindus'' saponins have not been proven be as effective as more commonly used spermicides it has been shown that they are less irritating than chemical alternatives. <ref name='contracept1'>{{Cite news | author1=P. Ojha | author2=J. P. Maikhuri | author3=G. Gupta | publication-date = 27 August 2003 | date = August 2003 | title = Effect of spermicides on ''Lactobacillus acidophilus'' in vitro&nbsp;— nonoxynol-9 vs. ''Sapindus'' saponins | periodical = Contraception | publisher = Elsevier Science Inc. | volume = 68 | issue = 2 | pages = 135–138 | url = http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T5P-49D1VN3-G&_user=145269&_coverDate=08%2F31%2F2003&_rdoc=1&_fmt=full&_orig=search&_cdi=5008&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=982043524&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000012078&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=145269&md5=ff1142c71d22ed3c5039e405e7cc466a | doi = 10.1016/S0010-7824(03)00138-0 | accessdate = 16 August 2009 }}</ref>
Leaf and fruit extracts of ''Sapindus'' have historically been used in [[Folk medicine|folk remedies]] to treat various conditions.<ref name="upadhyay">{{cite journal |author=Upadhyay A, Singh DK |year=2012 |title=Pharmacological effects of ''Sapindus mukorossi'' |journal=Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo |volume=54 |issue=5 |pages=273–280 |doi=10.1590/s0036-46652012000500007|pmid=22983291 |doi-access=free }}</ref>


=== Insecticide ===
Soap nuts, such as those of ''[[Sapindus mukorossi]]'', are among the [[list of herbs and minerals in Ayurveda]]. They are a popular ingredient in [[Ayurvedic]] [[shampoo]]s and cleansers. They are used in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for [[eczema]], [[psoriasis]], and for removing [[freckle]]s. Soap nuts have gentle [[Insecticide|insecticidal]] properties and are traditionally used for removing [[lice]] from the scalp.
''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 inhibit the growth of the [[mosquito]] ''[[Aedes aegypti]]'', an important [[vector (epidemiology)|vector]] of viral diseases.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/soapnut-mosquito-repellent|title=Soapnut, a mosquito repellent|work=Down To Earth}}</ref>


=== Dyeing process ===
''Sapindus'' species are used as food plants by the [[Caterpillar|larvae]] of some [[Lepidoptera]] (moths and butterflies) species including ''[[Endoclita|Endoclita malabaricus]]''.
Soapnut is used as a scouring agent for preparation of coloring fibers such as the yarn of [[Tussar silk]] and cotton.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://biolifejournal.com/327%20ANJALI%20DESHMUKH%20599-604.pdf|title=''Sapindus emarginatus'' Vahl as a natural scouring agent in dyeing of cotton with ''Carissa carandas'' leaf extract|last1=Deshmukh|first1=Anjali|last2=Bansal|first2=Lekhika|journal=BioLife |volume=2|issue=2|pages=599–604|year=2014|archive-date=2017-08-11|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811101439/http://biolifejournal.com/327%20ANJALI%20DESHMUKH%20599-604.pdf}}</ref>


== Species ==
== Species ==
[[File:Sapindus emarginatus in Hyderabad W2 IMG 4648.jpg|thumb|''[[Sapindus emarginatus]]'' soap nut in [[Hyderabad, India]]. ]]
[[File:Sapindus emarginatus in Hyderabad W2 IMG 4648.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Sapindus emarginatus]]'' drupes in [[Hyderabad, India]]]]
[[File:Western Soapberry.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Sapindus drummondii]]'', the Western Soapberry: drupes]]


The number of species is disputed between different authors, particularly in [[North America]] where between one and three species are accepted.
The number of species is disputed between different authors, particularly in [[North America]] where between one and three species are accepted. {{As of|2024|February}}, ''[[Plants of the World Online]]'' includes:<ref name = POWO>[https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A331930-2 Plants of the World Online: ''Sapindus'' Tourn. ex L. (retrieved 24 February 2024)]</ref>
* ''[[Sapindus delavayi]]'' (China, India)
# ''[[Sapindus chrysotrichus]]'' {{Au|Gagnep.}} (southern [[Vietnam]])
* ''[[Sapindus detergens]]'' ([[synonymy|syn.]] var. ''Soapnut, Ritha'')
# ''[[Sapindus delavayi]]'' {{Au|(Franch.) Radlk.}} (China, India)
* ''[[Sapindus drummondii]]'' ([[synonymy|syn.]] ''S. saponaria'' var. ''drummondii'') Western Soapberry ([[southwestern United States]], [[Mexico]])
# ''[[Sapindus drummondii]]'' {{Au|Hook. & Arn.}} (USA: Arizona to SE. Colorado and Louisiana)
* ''[[Sapindus emarginatus]]'' <small>[[Martin Vahl (botanist)|Vahl]]</small> (Southern Asia)
# ''[[Sapindus emarginatus]]'' {{Au|[[Martin Vahl (botanist)|Vahl]]}} (Southern Asia)
# ''[[Sapindus lippoldii]]'' {{Au|I.M.Turner}} ([[Cuba]])
* ''[[Sapindus marginatus]]'' - Florida Soapberry ([[Florida]] to [[South Carolina]]); included in ''S. saponaria'' by some authors.
* ''[[Sapindus mukorossi]]'' <small>[[Joseph Gaertner|Gaertn.]]</small> - Indian Soapberry (Northern [[India]] East to the [[Himalayas]])
# ''[[Sapindus mukorossi]]'' {{Au|[[Joseph Gaertner|Gaertn.]]}} – Indian Soapberry ([[India]] and the [[Himalayas]] east to [[Indochina]] and [[Japan]])
* ''[[Sapindus oahuensis]]'' <small>[[William Hillebrand|Hillebr.]] ex [[Ludwig Adolph Timotheus Radlkofer|Radlk.]]</small> - Lonomea ([[Kauai|Kaua{{okina}}i]] and [[Oahu|O{{okina}}ahu]], [[Hawaii]])
# ''[[Sapindus oahuensis]]'' {{Au|[[William Hillebrand|Hillebr.]] ex [[Ludwig Adolph Timotheus Radlkofer|Radlk.]]}} – Lonomea ([[Kauai|Kauaʻi]] and [[Oahu|Oʻahu]], [[Hawaii]])
* ''[[Sapindus rarak]]'' <small>[[Augustin Pyramus de Candolle|DC.]]</small> ([[Southeast Asia]])
# ''[[Sapindus rarak]]'' {{Au|[[Augustin Pyramus de Candolle|DC.]]}} ([[Southeast Asia]])
# ''[[Sapindus saponaria]]'' {{Au|L.}} - 4 subspecies, previously considered as 2:
* ''[[Sapindus saponaria]]'' <small>L.</small> - Wingleaf Soapberry ([[southeastern United States]], [[Caribbean]], [[Hawaii (island)|island of Hawai{{okina}}i]], [[Central America|Central]] and [[South America]])
## "''S. s.'' var. ''drummondii''" <small>(Hook. & Arn.) L.D.Benson</small> – Western Soapberry ([[southwestern United States|southwestern US]], [[Mexico]]) is ''[[Sapindus drummondii|S. drummondii]]''
* ''[[Sapindus tomentosus]]'' (China)
## ''S. s.'' var. ''saponaria'' – Wingleaf Soapberry ([[southeastern United States|southeastern US]], [[Caribbean]], [[Hawaii (island)|island of Hawaiʻi]], [[Central America|Central]], [[South America]]);<br/>''[[Sapindus marginatus]]'' <small>Willd.</small> – Florida Soapberry - included here.
* ''[[Sapindus trifoliatus]]'' <small>L.</small> - South India Soapnut or Three-leaf Soapberry (Southern [[India]], [[Pakistan]])
# ''[[Sapindus sonlaensis]]'' {{Au|H.M.Tam, N.K.Khoi, N.T.Cuong & T.B.Tran}} ([[Sơn La province|Sơn La]], NW Vietnam)
* ''[[Sapindus vitiensis]]'' <small>[[Asa Gray|A.Gray]]</small> ([[American Samoa]], [[Samoa]], [[Fiji]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?33093 |title=''Sapindus vitiensis'' A. Gray |work=[[Germplasm Resources Information Network]] |publisher=[[United States Department of Agriculture]] |date=2007-04-30 |accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref>
# ''[[Sapindus tomentosus]]'' {{Au|Kurz}} - China
[[Image:Western Soapberry.jpg|thumb|Western Soapberry berries]]
# ''[[Sapindus trifoliatus]]'' <small>L.</small> – South India Soapnut or Three-leaf Soapberry: Southern [[India]], [[Pakistan]] (synonym ''S. laurifolius'' <small>Vahl</small> = "Ritha")
# ''[[Sapindus vitiensis]]'' <small>[[Asa Gray|A.Gray]]</small> ([[American Samoa]], [[Samoa]], [[Fiji]])<ref name="ITIS" /><ref>{{GRIN | ''Sapindus vitiensis'' | 33093 | accessdate = 2009-03-23}}</ref><ref name="GRINSpecies">{{cite web |url=https://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?10707 |title=GRIN Species Records of ''Sapindus'' |work=Germplasm Resources Information Network |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |date=2007-04-30 |access-date=2010-11-01}}</ref>

=== Formerly placed here ===
*''[[Lepisanthes fruticosa]]'' <small>(Roxb.) Leenh.</small> (as ''S. fruticosus'' <small>Roxb.</small>)
*''[[Lepisanthes senegalensis]]'' <small>(Juss. ex Poir.) Leenh.</small> (as ''S. senegalensis'' <small>Juss. ex Poir.</small>)
*''[[Lepisanthes tetraphylla]]'' <small>(Vahl) Radlk.</small> (as ''S. tetraphylla'' <small>Vahl</small>)
*''[[Talisia cerasina]]'' <small>(Benth.) Radlk.</small> (as ''S. cerasinus'' <small>Benth.</small>)
*''[[Talisia esculenta]]'' <small>(A.St.-Hil.) Radlk.</small> (as ''S. esculenta'' <small>A.St.-Hil.</small>)<ref name="GRINSpecies" />


== References ==
== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{refs}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
*{{Commons category inline}}
{{commonscat}}
*{{Wikispecies inline}}
{{wikispecies}}
* [http://www.pureindia.com/soapnut.htm Flora of India: ''Sapindus'']
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=129159 Flora of Pakistan: ''Sapindus'']
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=129159 Flora of Pakistan: ''Sapindus'']
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=3&taxon_id=129159 Flora of China: ''Sapindus'' species list]
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=3&taxon_id=129159 Flora of China: ''Sapindus'' species list]
{{Taxonbar|from=Q321451}}


[[Category:Sapindus]]
[[Category:Sapindus| ]]
[[Category:Sapindaceae genera]]

[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
[[cs:Mýdelník (rod)]]
[[cy:Sapindus]]
[[de:Waschnussbaum]]
[[es:Sapindus]]
[[fr:Sapindus]]
[[gu:અરીઠાં]]
[[hi:अरीठा]]
[[ka:საპნის ხე]]
[[sw:Mmoyomoyo]]
[[ht:Bwa savonèt]]
[[hu:Mosódiófa]]
[[nl:Zeepnotenboom]]
[[no:Såpebærslekten]]
[[pt:Sapindus]]
[[ro:Sapindus mukorossi]]
[[qu:Ch'uchu]]
[[ru:Мыльное дерево]]
[[sl:Pralni oreščki]]
[[fi:Pesupähkinä]]
[[sv:Sapindus]]
[[te:కుంకుడు]]
[[zh:無患子]]

Latest revision as of 17:31, 26 September 2024

Not to be confused with Soapnet.

Sapindus
Sapindus marginatus shrubs
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Sapindaceae
Tribe: Sapindeae
Genus: Sapindus
L.
Type species
Sapindus saponaria
L.[1]
Species

See text

Synonyms

Dittelasma Hook.f.[2]

Sapindus is a genus of about thirteen species of shrubs and small trees in the lychee family, Sapindaceae and tribe Sapindeae. It is native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the world. The genus includes both deciduous and evergreen species. Members of the genus are commonly known as soapberries[3] 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".[4]

The leaves are alternate, 15–40 cm (5.9–15.7 in) long, pinnate (except in S. oahuensis, which has simple leaves), with 14-30 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 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) in diameter, yellow ripening blackish, containing one to three seeds.

Uses

[edit]
Soapnut is used with natural dyes to color the yarn of Tasar silk.
Sapindus emarginatus leaves, India

The drupes (soapnuts) contain saponins, which have surfactant properties, having been used for washing by ancient Asian and American peoples.[5][6] A number of other uses for Sapindus have also been reported such as making arrows from the wood and decorative objects from the seeds.[7]

Folk medicine

[edit]

Leaf and fruit extracts of Sapindus have historically been used in folk remedies to treat various conditions.[8]

Insecticide

[edit]

Sapindus species are used as food plants by the 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 inhibit the growth of the mosquito Aedes aegypti, an important vector of viral diseases.[9]

Dyeing process

[edit]

Soapnut is used as a scouring agent for preparation of coloring fibers such as the yarn of Tussar silk and cotton.[10]

Species

[edit]
Sapindus emarginatus drupes in Hyderabad, India
Sapindus drummondii, the Western Soapberry: drupes

The number of species is disputed between different authors, particularly in North America where between one and three species are accepted. As of February 2024, Plants of the World Online includes:[11]

  1. Sapindus chrysotrichus Gagnep. (southern Vietnam)
  2. Sapindus delavayi (Franch.) Radlk. (China, India)
  3. Sapindus drummondii Hook. & Arn. (USA: Arizona to SE. Colorado and Louisiana)
  4. Sapindus emarginatus Vahl (Southern Asia)
  5. Sapindus lippoldii I.M.Turner (Cuba)
  6. Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn. – Indian Soapberry (India and the Himalayas east to Indochina and Japan)
  7. Sapindus oahuensis Hillebr. ex Radlk. – Lonomea (Kauaʻi and Oʻahu, Hawaii)
  8. Sapindus rarak DC. (Southeast Asia)
  9. Sapindus saponaria L. - 4 subspecies, previously considered as 2:
    1. "S. s. var. drummondii" (Hook. & Arn.) L.D.Benson – Western Soapberry (southwestern US, Mexico) is S. drummondii
    2. S. s. var. saponaria – Wingleaf Soapberry (southeastern US, Caribbean, island of Hawaiʻi, Central, South America);
      Sapindus marginatus Willd. – Florida Soapberry - included here.
  10. Sapindus sonlaensis H.M.Tam, N.K.Khoi, N.T.Cuong & T.B.Tran (Sơn La, NW Vietnam)
  11. Sapindus tomentosus Kurz - China
  12. Sapindus trifoliatus L. – South India Soapnut or Three-leaf Soapberry: Southern India, Pakistan (synonym S. laurifolius Vahl = "Ritha")
  13. Sapindus vitiensis A.Gray (American Samoa, Samoa, Fiji)[3][12][13]

Formerly placed here

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References

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  1. ^ "Sapindus L." TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  2. ^ "Genus: Sapindus L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-10-05. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  3. ^ a b "Sapindus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
  4. ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology. Vol. IV R-Z. Taylor & Francis US. p. 2381. ISBN 978-0-8493-2678-3.
  5. ^ Austin, Daniel F. (2004). Florida Ethnobotany. CRC Press. pp. 601–603. ISBN 978-0-8493-2332-4.
  6. ^ Rodríguez-Hernández, Diego; Barbosa, Luiz C.A.; Demuner, Antonio J.; De Almeida, Raquel M.; Fujiwara, Ricardo T.; Ferreira, Sebastião R. (November 2016). "Highly potent anti-leishmanial derivatives of hederagenin, a triperpenoid from Sapindus saponaria L." European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 124: 153–159. doi:10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.08.030. PMID 27569196.
  7. ^ "Soapberry (Sapindus) in Arizona" (PDF). Phytoneuron. November 2020.
  8. ^ Upadhyay A, Singh DK (2012). "Pharmacological effects of Sapindus mukorossi". Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo. 54 (5): 273–280. doi:10.1590/s0036-46652012000500007. PMID 22983291.
  9. ^ "Soapnut, a mosquito repellent". Down To Earth.
  10. ^ Deshmukh, Anjali; Bansal, Lekhika (2014). "Sapindus emarginatus Vahl as a natural scouring agent in dyeing of cotton with Carissa carandas leaf extract" (PDF). BioLife. 2 (2): 599–604. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-11.
  11. ^ Plants of the World Online: Sapindus Tourn. ex L. (retrieved 24 February 2024)
  12. ^ "Sapindus vitiensis". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
  13. ^ a b "GRIN Species Records of Sapindus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-04-30. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
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