Saponaria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Asia and Europe, and are commonly known as soapworts.[2] They are herbaceous perennials and annuals, some with woody bases. The flowers are abundant, five-petalled and usually in shades of pink[3] or white.[2] The genus is closely related to the genus Silene, being distinguished from these by having only two (not three or five) styles in the flower.[3] It is also related to Gypsophila, but its calyx is cylindrical rather than bell-shaped.[4]
The most familiar species might be common soapwort (S. officinalis), which is native to Eurasia but is known in much of the world as an introduced species, often a weed, and sometimes a cultivated ornamental plant.[2] The genus name Saponaria derives from the Latin sapo ("soap") and -aria ("pertaining to"),[2] and at least one species, S. officinalis, has been used to make soap.[5] It contains saponins, and a liquid soap can be produced by soaking the leaves in water.[2] This soap is still used to clean delicate antique tapestries.[6] It is also sometimes stated that it is used as an emulsifier in Turkish delight confections, but this is a case of double confusion. The roots of plants in genus Gypsophila are used to make the Turkish confection helva and Saponaria species are not used.[7]
Saponaria species are eaten by the larvae of some butterflies and moths, including the Lychnis and Coleophora saponariella, which is exclusive to the genus.
^Cite error: The named reference POWO was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abcdeThieret, John W.; Rabeler, Richard K. (2005). "Saponaria". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 5. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
^ abRHS A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. ISBN 978-1405332965.
^Ghazanfar, Shahina A.; Nasir, Yasin J. "Saponaria". Flora of Pakistan – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
^Coombes, A. J. (2012). The A to Z of Plant Names. USA: Timber Press. p. 265. ISBN 9781604691962.
^Elliot, Doug (July 1995). Wild Roots: Forager's Guide to the Edible and Medicinal Roots, Tubers, Corms and Rhizomes of North America. ISBN 978-0892815388.
^Işın, Priscilla Mary (2013). Sherbet & Spice : the complete story of Turkish sweets and desserts (1st ed.). New York: I.B. Tauris. pp. 128, 270. ISBN 978-1-84885-898-5. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
Saponaria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Asia and Europe, and are commonly known as soapworts. They are herbaceous...
Saponaria officinalis is a common perennial plant from the family Caryophyllaceae. This plant has many common names, including common soapwort, bouncing-bet...
Quillaja saponaria, the soap bark tree or soapbark, is an evergreen tree in the family Quillajaceae, native to warm temperate central Chile. In Chile...
Sapindus saponaria is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree native to the Americas. Common names include wingleaf soapberry, western soapberry, jaboncillo...
Saponaria ocymoides, the rock soapwort or tumbling Ted, is a species of semi-evergreen perennial flowering plant belonging to the family Caryophyllaceae...
Aloe maculata (syn. Aloe saponaria), the soap aloe or zebra aloe, is a Southern African species of aloe. Local people in South Africa know it informally...
but found particularly in soapwort (genus Saponaria), a flowering plant, the soapbark tree (Quillaja saponaria) and soybeans (Glycine max L.). They are...
Commons has media related to Saponaria pumila. "Saponaria pumila Janch". GBIF. Retrieved 2021-08-14. "Dwarf Soapwort (Saponaria pumila)". iNaturalist. Retrieved...
(Kauaʻi and Oʻahu, Hawaii) Sapindus rarak DC. (Southeast Asia) Sapindus saponaria L. - 4 subspecies, previously considered as 2: "S. s. var. drummondii"...
Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short (1879). "pulchellus". A Latin Dictionary. Saponaria. Flora of North America. Griffith, Chuck (2005). "Dictionary of Botanical...
drummondii is a valid species (it was thought to be synonymous with Sapindus saponaria) of shrubs in the tribe Sapindeae. It has been recorded from Arizona to...
Gentiana saponaria, the soapwort gentian or harvestbells, is a 1–2 ft (30–61 cm) tall flowering plant in the Gentianaceae family. Similar to the "bottle"...
Derambila saponaria is a moth of the family Geometridae first described by Achille Guenée in 1858. It is found in Sri Lanka, India, Sumatra and Borneo...
Saponaria jagelii is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is endemic to the island of Elafonisos in Greece. Its natural habitat...
milled inner bark or small stems and branches of the soapbark (Quillaja saponaria, Molina). Other names include Murillo bark extract, Panama bark extract...
and saponaria ('soapy'), both of which are distinguishing features of the mushroom. The name was originally published as Ramaria flavo-saponaria, including...
it belongs in its own family. The inner bark of the soap bark tree (Q. saponaria) contains saponin, which is a natural soap. Members of this genus are...
that they most likely used was the root of a plant called copalxocotl (Saponaria americana), and to clean their clothes they used the root of metl (Agave...
contains only two extant species, Quillaja brasiliensis and Quillaja saponaria, and one fossil species, Dakotanthus cordiformis. Watson, L.; Dallwitz...
alembics in the involucres of the Malvaceae all the thundering of the Saponaria are like these discordant words written by the flames of pyres over the...
Tuberous pea (Lathyrus tuberosus) of the Fabaceae Soap bark tree (Quillaja saponaria) of the Quillajaceae Milkwort (Polygala myrtifolia) of the Polygalaceae...
vaccines: Quil A and its derivative QS-21, isolated from the bark of Quillaja saponaria Molina, to stimulate both the Th1 immune response and the production of...
Robert; Trussel, Stephen (2010). "*daqu₂: soapberry - Sapindus mukrossi, S. saponaria". Austronesian Comparative Dictionary. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary...
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