Sapindus emarginatus

Trees, to 10 m high, bark dark-brown, rough; branchlets tomentose. Leaves paripinnate, alternate, exstipulate; rachis 25-100 mm, stout, tomentose, swollen at base; leaflets 4 or 6, opposite or subopposite; petiolule 2-3 mm, stout, tomentose; lamina 3-15 x 1.5-5.5 cm, oblong-obovate, oblanceolate or oblong, base cuneate or obtuse, apex obtuse, round and emarginate, margin entire, glabrescent above, softly tomentose beneath and midrib above, coriaceous; lateral nerves 4-12 pairs, pinnate, prominent, ascending, secondary laterals prominent, intercostae reticulate, prominent. Flowers polygamous, greenish-white, in terminal and axillary panicles; branches pubescent; sepals 5, 2-seriate, 3-4 mm, ovate-orbicular, unequal, ciliate, imbricate; petals 5, obovate, 2.5 mm, equal, clawed, glabrous on the inner surface except for 1-2 tufts of white hairs above the claw; disc annular, 5-lobed, strigose; stamens 8, inserted within the disc; filaments unequal, pilose, free; anthers oblong; ovary superior, trigonus, 3-celled, ovule 1 in each cell; style terminal; stigma 3-lobed. Fruit a drupe of 3 indehiscent cocci, combined about half way up and then separating with saponaceous fibrous pericarp; smooth and slightly pubescent when young, later glabrous and wrinkled; seeds black, globose, smooth.  

Fruiting tree for ID | 29May2010AR02 – efloraofindia | Google Groups : 8 images.

Anacardiaceae Tree for Id- 171109Jm2 – indiantreepix | Google Groups : 6 images.

Sapindus emarginatus – indiantreepix | Google Groups : 3 images.

ID request-31032012-PKA3:
Seen this tree at Gindi Park, Chennai.
Date/Time: 01-03-2012 / 03:45PM
Plant Habit: Tree ( 10 to 12 m)
Habitat: Not sure (could be wild)?

Looks like Sapindus emarginatus or Soap fruit.

Thanks …. It does look like Sapindus emarginatus.

Leaflets 2-3 pairs, anthers apiculate

Request Tree ID 43 Bangalore – Is it Madhuca Indica?:
Ulsoor, Bangalore

The inflorescence looks like that of Sapindus laurifolius. Please check whether leaves are compound with 4-6 leaflets.

To me, it looks like Sapindus trifoliatus L. (= S. emarginatus Vahl) by its emarginate leaf tip. Both S. trifoliatus and S. laurifolia are hardly distinguishable from each other except by the leaf tip character.

There is record about the presence of Sapindus mukorossi which is available in Himalayas ans Nepal. this is also called soapnut only.

PLANT FOR ID 25 SMP30 DEC2008 – indiantreepix | Google Groups : 2 images.

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Tree’s sporting the summer look #11 of 15 | Soap nut tree – efloraofindia | Google Groups : 5 images.

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Tree for Id please – indiantreepix | Google Groups : 3 images.

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What is the insect on Sapindus Trifoliatus – South Indian Soapnut Tree?:
I saw lots of them on a big tree on cubbon park as well as the smaller ones around my home.
They have come only after the fruits showed up.

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It looks like mating bugs.

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For comparison http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_PAO7640&res=640

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Shield bugs

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If I Google for shield bugs (which are also called stink bugs) I don’t see that White patch. Is this a symbiotic relationship?

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Unless we can systematically understand both plant and bug benefit each others in sharing resources we cant say that there is symbiotic relationship. Example the insect forages nectar from the flower that resulted in pollination or the bug takes any exudates and prevents pathogens and predators attacking the plant.

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There are many varieties of the Stink/shield bugs. For a more accurate identification, you could post the bugs at insectindia at yahoogroups, where many knowledgeable persons would help you.

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Might be a species belongs to the family Pentatomidae

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Agreed. This is a Stinkbug / Shieldbug of Family Pentatomoidae, possibly a species of Tessaratoma.

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I saw it on Sapindus emarginatus – Notched Leaf Soapnut

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Stink beetles

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Solitude | 28Aug2011AR01 from Gingee:
Just sharing a picture depicting an expanse of natural scenery from Ginjee, not a good picture to request ID. However, I Welcome if possible.

Zoomed photo to see- Leaves appear alternate, obovate to obcordate, size-13cms approx.

Tree height 17 feet, Habitat -fields near to the foothills of Gingee.

Gingee fort, Tamilnadu,
20-Jul 2008

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This is Sapindus emarginatus, I think. 

This is a species of Sapindus.

My pictures for comparison (Sapindus)
http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_PAO6424&res=640
http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_PAO6454&res=640

Looks like Sapindus laurifolius.

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SMPAPR10 : 1 post by 1 author. Attachments (3)

Soapnut tree in fruiting

Sapindus trifoliatus
Pune

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I think it should be Sapindus emarginatus Vahl as per keys and details herein.

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14/11/09 in Shamirpet, in Rangareddi district, Andhra Pradesh; Dutch Fort, Sadras, Mahabalipuram, Taminadu; Panshet, Pune, Maharashtra;

unknown tree – efloraofindia | Google Groups

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