Phenil / Reetha
Sapindus mukorossi
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan & more
How to identify Phenil
Identify Phenil 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 (reetha).
- Confirm leaf type: Pinnately compound (leaflets in rows along a stalk).
- In India, compare location records such as Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Sapindaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Phenil.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Sapindus mukorossi
- Genus
- Sapindus
- Family
- Sapindaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Telangana, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Pinnately compound (leaflets in rows along a stalk)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Phenil 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
- फेनिल phenil, रिष्ट risht, रिष्टक rishtak, Dodan
- Nepali
- Rittha
- Bengali
- রিঠা, রিটা
- Marathi
- फेनिल phenil, Phenil, रीठा
- Sanskrit
- Aristaka, Hrishtah, Phenaka, Phenil
- Assamese
- Aritha, মণিছাল
- Urdu
- Reetha, Phenil, Ritha
About Phenil
A member of the Sapindaceae family, Reetha (Sapindus mukorossi) is a tree. In India it has been recorded in Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and 10 other states.
Uses
It is cut for timber and furniture.
Sapindaceae
Soapberry/Lychee family
Phenil belongs to the Sapindaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Sapindaceae familySnap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Phenil or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.
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.
All plant problem & care guides