Description

South India Soapnut is a genus of about five to twelve species of shrubs and small trees in the lychee family, Sapindaceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the world. The genus includes both deciduoud 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.

Characteristics:

South India Soapnut is a large tree, growing up to 25 m tall. Leaves are compound, 15-30 cm long. Leaflets are nearly stalkless, 2-3 pairs, 8-18 cm long, 5-7.5 cm broad, elliptic-lanceshaped, smooth, pointed tipped, base slightly oblique, terminal pair longest. Flowers are greenish-white, in terminal, slightly velvety panicles. Flower stalks are 3 mm long, velvety. Sepals are 5, slightly fused at the base, 4-5 mm long, ovate-oblong, velvety. Petals are 5, free, 5-6 mm long, lance-shaped to ovate, clawed, bristly. Disc is 5-lobed. Stamens are 8, free, filaments 2-3 mm long. Ovary is 3-locular, 3-lobed, ovoid, about 3 mm long, velvety, with 1 ovule in each locule. Fruit is 2-3 lobed, 1.3-2 cm long, velvety when young, hard and smooth when mature. Each cell has a 6-9 mm black, round seed, which is what is popular as a traditional washing soap. Flowering: November-January.

Medicinal Uses:

Soapnuts have historically been used in folk remediesbut, as the effectiveness of such treatments has not been subjected to scientifc scrutiny, there are no confirmed health benefits of using soapnuts to treat any human disease. The soapnut contains saponins, which are under laboratory research for their potential antimicrobial properties. Soapnut is used as a dyeing agent for coloring the yarn of Tussar silk and cotton.