Chinese soapberry tree Sapindus mukorossii
In Chinese culture, the wood from the Chinese soapberry tree (Sapindus mukorossii) is considered to be able to drive away evil spirits. The Latin scientific name refers to Indian soap. This tree is found in tropical climates in Southeast Asia and India. In Taiwan it is distributed in shallow mountain areas of the southwestern part of the island. In fall and winter, the leaves turn yellow and fall to the ground. It is a rare example of a native, low-elevation, deciduous tree. Due to competition during the development of the fruit, there are three fruit shapes. Please review the introduction in this unit for details. Although there are often people who talk about its benefits as an environmentally-friendly soap, very few actually use it. In this unit, an easy method for using soapberries is introduced.
