Xanthoceras sorbifolium Fruit Source & Identity
The botanical entity is Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge, a deciduous shrub or small tree of the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, native to northern China, which carries showy white flowers and a large, thick-walled fruit capsule. The part used is the fruit, as recorded in the specification. Leaves, flowers, twigs and the pressed seed oil are not included in this yellowhorn extract. The name is spelled with different endings in trade documents, sorbifolium or sorbifolia, and the shrub is called goldenhorn or wen guan guo. The fruit husk and its stalk are known for triterpenoid saponins, and the seed kernel is rich in oil, so the exact part matters.
The tree flowers in spring, and the large, thick-walled fruit capsules split open when ripe, releasing dark seeds.












