Reetha / Soapnut Tree
Sapindus emarginatus
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana & more
- Flowering
- February-December
How to identify Reetha
Identify Reetha by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Fruit rich in saponins, used as a natural soap (soapnut).
- Confirm leaf type: Pinnately compound (leaflets in rows along a stalk).
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: February-December.
- In India, compare location records such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Sapindaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Reetha.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Sapindus emarginatus
- Genus
- Sapindus
- Family
- Sapindaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Dry deciduous forests and margins of grasslands
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Pakistan
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra
- Flowering & fruiting
- February-December
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Pinnately compound (leaflets in rows along a stalk)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Reetha itself; the rest are typical of the Sapindaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Panicle
- Fruit
- Capsule
Typical of the Sapindaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- रीठा Reetha
- Tamil
- Ponnankottai, Manipungan maram, Poovandikottai
- Telugu
- Kukudu-kayalu, Kungititkaya, Kunkudu-chettu
- Kannada
- ಕೂಗಟೆ ಕಾಯಿ Koogate kayi, Kudale-kaye, Kukate-kayi
- Malayalam
- Chavakayimaram, Punnan-kotta, Urvanjik-kaya
- Marathi
- aritha, rimgi, rimthi
About Reetha
A member of the Sapindaceae family, Soapnut Tree (Sapindus emarginatus) is a tree. In India it has been recorded in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and 5 other states. It grows in dry deciduous forests and margins of grasslands. Flowering and fruiting run from February to December.
Sapindaceae
Soapberry/Lychee family
Reetha belongs to the Sapindaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Sapindaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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