Lerak, Soapberry tree
Sapindus rarak
Family: Sapindaceae
What it is like
A tree. It loses its leaves during the year. It grows 20-42 m tall. The trunk can be 1 m across. The branches are strong, stout and grooved. They have yellowish hairs when young. The leaves are large and compound. They are 50 cm long. There are 7-12 pairs of almost opposite leaflets. These are 7-13 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. The flowering shoots are near the ends of branches and are erect and tower-shaped. The fruit are dark red and round. They are 2.5 cm across.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. In China it grows between 500-2,100 m above sea level. In XTBG Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
How it is used for food
It is a cultivated food plant.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seeds or suckers.
Its other names
Local names
Kala-kimmun, Kinpadi, Klerek, Lerak, Mai mark sack, Nwapadi, Rerak, Rerek, Sinpadi, Soapnut