10 Aug., 1918;] Notes on the Sapindus Tree. 503 



This Sapindus is allied to a Japanese species, S. mukorossi* from 

 wliicli it differs by its keeled fruit, a new species was therefore created, 

 viz., S. utilis. The fruit, when dry, weighs up to 6 or 7 grammes (^ oh.). 

 Seedlings vary greatly, especially as regards yield. M. Bertrand planted 

 cuttings of selected seedlings in 1895 ; by 1901, some trees yielded up to 

 50 kil. of fruit each (110 lbs.), whereas seedlings seven years' old bore 

 no crop. Dr. Trabut considers the tree to be worthy of taking an 

 important place in French-Colonial cultures. 



Riviere and Lecq, in their work Practical Agriculture for Northern 

 Africa, devote a couple of pages to this tree under the title of Sapindus 

 or Soap Tree. Trees belonging to the Sapindaceae family bear fruit 

 with a soapy pulp which has been used for centuries by different peoples 

 of tropical countries. It is a handsome, almost evergreen, tree, often 

 bearing heavy crops of fruit varying in size from that of a large filbert 

 to a walnut. The plant referred to by Dr. Trabut was sent to Alger 

 from the Botanical Gardens of the Paris Faculty of Medicine, under 

 the name of S. marginatus. It is sometimes also called ^S*. emarginatus. 

 It was renamed by Radlkofer in 1873 8. mukorossi var. Carinatus. 

 During the past few years (the work is dated 1914), a Sapindus utilis 

 has been much spoken of, which is none other than the old plant 

 re-baptized. This large tree has a well-defined trunk, and handsome, 

 almost evergreen, leaves. The fruit ripens in winter. It thrives on 

 the lower plains in rich, free, irrigable soil, which alone suits it; under 

 other conditions, its growth is slow, and yield poor. 



On boiling the fruit with water, a soapy emulsion is obtained well- 

 suited for cleaning woollens and silk, to which it gives a kind of lustre. 

 The dried fruit contains about 62 per cent, of sapindine (probably the 

 same as saponine). A fine white powder can be extracted from it, which 

 was much remarked at the Colonial Exhibition at Lyon, in 1894. A 

 considerable demand for this was booked for in connexion with the wool 

 and silk spinning industries. 



The authors consider that it would be imprudent to conclude that 

 this fruit has an economic value and an assured demand such as would 

 render its plantation on a large scale profitable. Attempts to popularize 

 the product during the past twenty years have led to no result. Two 

 or three Sapindus trees on a farm would suffice for household needs. 



More recently still (Progres Agricole 1911-1912), Gastine has 

 recommended Saponine for the purpose of giving greater wetting power 

 to fungicide sprays, for which purpose it seems to be of considerable 

 value. This use is also referred to in the reports of the "Woburn Experi- 

 mental Orchard (Pickering and the Duke of Bedford), Gelatine and 

 casein are now used for the same purpose. 



In the Melbourne Botanical Gardens, there are three species of 

 Sapindus, viz., S. emarginatus, about 3 feet high; S. mukorossi, about 

 10 feet high ; and S. trifoliatus, a small plant. 



* In Japan this is known botanlcally as Sapindus Muliuroshi, the specific name being derived from 

 Mukuroji, the common Japanese name of the tree. 



