Indian soapberry
Sapindus mukorossi · Sapindaceae · 무환자나무
Look
- Leaves
- Odd-pinnate compound leaves with 9 to 13 leaflets, long elliptic-ovate to long elliptic-lanceolate, 7 to 14 x 3 to 4.5 cm, wrinkled on both sides with smooth margins.
- Flowers
- In May to June, reddish-brown flowers bloom in conical panicles (20 to 30 cm long, short-hairy) at the twig tips; 4 to 5 sepals and petals each.
- Fruit
- The drupe is round, hairless and yellow-brown, each containing a black seed; it ripens in mid-October.
- Bark
- Hairless, smooth, greenish brown.
Where it grows
- In Korea
- Planted (Jeju, Jeolla, Gyeongsang)
- Native to
- China, Taiwan and Japan (the distribution in Korea is described as planted).
- Ecology
- Weak against cold and shade; grows well in deep, fertile sandy loam, and is highly resistant to pollution and pests.