chinaberry

• Nom désignant soit un arbre tropical américain à feuilles persistantes avec des fruits charnus contenant de la saponine, historiquement utilisé par les Amérindiens comme savon, soit un arbre originaire du nord de l'Inde et de la Chine, à fleurs violettes et petits fruits jaunes non comestibles, naturalisé dans le sud des États-Unis comme arbre d'ombrage.

A noun referring to either a tropical American evergreen tree with pulpy fruit containing saponin, historically used as soap by Native Americans, or a tree native to northern India and China with purple blossoms and small inedible yellow fruits, naturalized in the southern United States as a shade tree.

1. Soapberry treeC1formalamericanscientific

   An evergreen tree native to tropical America, producing pulpy fruit containing saponin, historically used by Native Americans as a soap substitute.

   Savonnier

   • The chinaberry's fruit was traditionally crushed and mixed with water to create a natural soap.
   • Native American tribes used the saponin-rich pulp of the chinaberry for cleaning.
   • The chinaberry tree thrives in the tropical regions of the Americas.

   Synonymessoapberry

2. Bead treeC1formalamericanscientific

   A tree native to northern India and China, known for its purple blossoms and small, inedible yellow fruits; it has become naturalized as a shade tree in the southern United States.

   Bead tree (Melia azedarach)

   • The chinaberry tree is often planted for shade in the southern states due to its fast growth.
   • Its purple blossoms make the chinaberry a popular ornamental tree in some regions.
   • The small yellow fruits of the chinaberry are inedible but attract birds.

   Synonymespersian lilacpride-of-indiawhite cedar