Sapindus trifoliatus

sap-IN-dus or SAP-in-dus — from the Latin sapo (soap) and indicus (Indian)
try-foh-lee-AY-tus or try-foh-lee-AT-us — meaning, three leaves

commonly known as: south India soapnut, three-leaf soapberry, trijugate-leaved soap-nut• Assamese: হাইঠা aritha • Bengali: ritha • Gujarati: અરીઠી arithi, અરીઠો aritho, અરીઠું arithu • Hindi: फेनिल phenil, रिष्ट risht, रिष्टक rishtak • Kannada: ಅಮ್ಟಳಕಾಯಿ amtalakaayi, ನೊರೆಕಾಯಿ norekaayi, ತೊಗಟೆ ಮರ togate mara • Konkani: रिठा ritha • Malayalam: ചവക്കായ് cavakkaay, പശക്കൊട്ടമരം pasakkottamaram, ഉറുവഞ്ചി uruvanchi• Manipuri: ke • Marathi: फेनिल phenil, रिंठी rinthi, रिठा ritha • Oriya: ritha • Prakrit: रिट्ठओः ritthaoh • Sanskrit: हृष्टः hrishtah, फेनका phenaka, फेनिल phenil, रिष्टः rishtah, रिष्टकrishtak, रीठा rita, सारिष्ट sarishta, ऊर्ध्वशोधनः urdhvashodhanah • Tamil: புனலை punalai, பூந்தி punthi, பூவந்தி puvanti • Telugu: కుంకుడుచెట్టు kunkuduchettu, ఫేనిలము phenilamu • Urdu: پهينل phenil

Native to: south India  

Sapindus laurifolius.. also called rinthi in marathi.. In old days people use to boil nuts in water with Acacia sinulata legumes as shampoo to wash hair. Gold and silver jwellary is also washed with these nuts

Sapindus laurifolius. Antuvaladakai in Kannada.  Tulu: Noprekai.

This is most probably be Sapindus laurifolius new name Sapindus trifoliata of Sapindaceae family. The only concern to me is the split drupes. Usually split drupes are not seen in S. laurifolius and this has mentioned
as a key character of S. emarginatus by Gamble. But the lanceolate acuminate leaves are characteristics of S. trifoliata (in S. emarginata the leaves are oblong emarginate).

Sapindus For ID : MNP,Mumbai : 210613 : AK-3 :  Attachments (2). 4 posts by 2 authors.

may be this is sapindus emarginatus. we needed close photo of leaves so its easy to identify this species.

if possible please send me.

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Adding two more pictures as requested earlier. 

Pictures taken today.

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It is Sapindus laurifolius and not S.emarginatus

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earlier I says that it may be Sapindus emarginatus but after got a new photo which we needed for identification, I identified this species as a Sapindus trifoliatus.

now … says its S laurifolius. He is also right but S. laurifolius is not valid name. S. laurifolius is synonym of Sapidus trifoliatus.

So there are no confusion for this species.

Please know this species as a Sapindus trifoliatus.

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Thanks … for your detailed reply. Your feedback is very important.

I understand your earlier concern of close-up of photograph of the leaves.

My understanding about the two species of Sapindus observed in Maharashtra is as follows (BSI Mah)

Sapindus emarginatus : Apex of leaflets emarginate
Sapindus laurifolius: Apex of leaflets acuminate.

Both of the above sp. have Sapindus trifoliatus as synonym.

Now again as per The Plant List

Sapindus trifoliatus is an accepted name and Sapindus emarginatus Vahl. is its synonym.

So some confusion still remains.

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according to … Sapindus trifoliatus is an accepted name and Sapindus emarginatus Vahl. is its synonym. So some confusion still remains.

But I think there are no confusion on Indian Sapindus species.

According to Pant (2000) in Flora of India published by BSI, there are three species of Sapindus in India viz. Sapindus mukorossi, Sapindus emarginatus and Sapindus trifoliatus. According to GRIN taxonomy website, these all 3 species are valid.

I also worked on Molecular systematics of Sapindus in India. According to my studies based on morphological and Molecular I also found different between emarginatus and trifoliatus, both are distinct species. My studies still not published but there are no confusion about Indian species of Sapindus

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Thanks … again.

What you say is definitely important. You have given the reference of GRIN and thanks for sharing about your studies.

The Plant List has some limitations esp. for Indian species. We have found this on several occasions.

So should we take Sapindus trifoliatus as more appropriate rather than Sapindus laurifolius?

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we can follow Flora of India published by BSI. Pant (2000) already gives all details about Indian Sapindus. So I think there are no confusion for name, so Sapindus trifoliatus is valid name and Sapindus laurifolius is synonym of S. trifoliatus.

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Requesting ID of this tree – Mumbai :: 04092013 :: ARK-01 :: February 2013 : Attachments (1). 5 posts by 2 authors.

Requesting to please ID this tree captured at Sagar Upvan, Mumbai in February 2013.

Unfortunately, this is the only pic I have, is this enough to ID?

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I can see the compound leaf with 4/6 leaflets.

Most likely Sapindus species. S. trifoliatus.

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Thank you … for ID.. May I ask a query….

In this case, did the fruit guide you to this ID first or the leaves….

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Actually both.

The specimen of leaf is not very healthy/clear here.

The fruit prompted me for the ID by visual memory and the leaf phyllotaxy is also matching and the location too.

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Bangalore-Ooty November 2013 :: Requesting ID of this tree at Lalbagh, Bangalore :: 22122013 :: ARK-34 : Attachments (4).  4 posts by 3 authors. 

Kindly help me to find the botanical name of this two herbs : 8 posts by 4 authors. 3 correct images as above.

seems to be of sapindus laurifolius

efi page on Sapindus trifoliatus (Syn: (=) Sapindus laurifolius Vahl);    

This may be sapindus trifoliatus

Thank you sir.

Fruit for Id – ID07032016SH1 : 9 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (1)

I think you are right. Pl. check keys at Sapindus

Thanks … I went through the keys at Sapindus of the eflora gr., but I can’t differentiate between the different species ? Can you pl. help me in identifying the species ? Is it Sapindus emarginatus ?

I think it should be Sapindus trifoliatus

This looks like Sapindus trifoliatus [previously S.laurifolius] with the apex of the leaves being acute or acuminate, whereas in S. emarginatus they are rounded or emarginated.

… absolutely right.

It is Sapindus trifoliatus L.

Looks like Sapindus trifoliatus. Please check this link : https://www.flickr.com/photos/dinesh_valke/3188159590

Thanks, … You may be right as per details at