Saponaria

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Saponaria
Saponaria ocymoides0.jpg
Saponaria ocymoides
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Genus: Saponaria
L. (1753)
Species

30-40, see text

Synonyms [1]
  • BootiaNeck. (1768), nom. illeg.
  • PleioneuraRech.f. (1951)
  • Proteinia(Ser.) Rchb. (1841)
  • SmegmathamniumFenzl ex Rchb. (1844)
  • SpaniziumGriseb. (1843)

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]

Contents

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.

Diversity

There are thirty [4] [8] to forty [2] [9] [10] species in the genus.

Plants of the World Online accepts 39 species: [1]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Erythronium</i> Genus of flowering plants

Erythronium, the fawn lily, trout lily, dog's-tooth violet or adder's tongue, is a genus of Eurasian and North American plants in the lily family, most closely related to tulips. The name Erythronium derives from Ancient Greek ἐρυθρός (eruthrós) "red" in Greek, referring to the red flowers of E. dens-canis. Of all the established species, most live in North America; only six species are found in Europe and Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caryophyllaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactaceae, and Polygonaceae. It is a large family, with 81 genera and about 2,625 known species.

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<i>Gypsophila</i> Genus of flowering plants

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<i>Apocynum</i> Genus of flowering plants

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<i>Silene chalcedonica</i> Species of flowering plant

Silene chalcedonica, the Maltese-cross or scarlet lychnis, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Eurasia. Other common names include flower of Bristol, Jerusalem cross and nonesuch.

<i>Anchusa</i> Genus of flowering plants in the borage family Boraginaceae

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<i>Saponaria officinalis</i> Species of plant

Saponaria officinalis is a common perennial plant from the family Caryophyllaceae. This plant has many common names, including common soapwort, bouncing-bet, crow soap, wild sweet William, and soapweed. There are about 20 species of soapworts altogether.

<i>Petrorhagia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Petrorhagia is a small genus of annual and perennial plants of the family Caryophyllaceae, mostly native to the Mediterranean region. It is low-growing with wiry stems and narrow, grass-like leaves. The flowers are small, in clusters similar to members of the genus Dianthus, in pink, lilac, or white. Petrorhagia saxifraga is the tunic flower or coat flower, similar to baby's breath, but shorter, and used in rock gardens.

<i>Gypsophila vaccaria</i> Genus of flowering plants

Gypsophila vaccaria is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is native from Portugal and Morocco to the Himalayas, and has been introduced into temperate areas worldwide. Among its many synonyms is Vaccaria hispanica, which was the only species placed in the genus Vaccaria. It is known by several common names including cowherb, cowcockle, cow basil, cow soapwort, and prairie carnation. It is an annual herb with blue-gray, waxy herbage and pale pink flowers.

<i>Melica</i> Genus of grasses

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<i>Calligonum</i> Genus of flowering plants

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<i>Mucronea</i> Genus of flowering plants

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<i>Cardionema ramosissimum</i> Species of flowering plant

Cardionema ramosissimum is a perennial plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, commonly known as sandcarpet, sandmat or tread lightly. It is a small, clumping, mat-forming plant found in a number of diverse habitats throughout its range, from sandy beaches and dunes to the high elevations of the Andes mountains. Cardionema ramosissimum has a disjunct distribution throughout the Americas, and is found on the Pacific coast of North America from the Puget Sound to Baja California, in central Mexico, and widely across South America, from the Andes in Colombia to most of Argentina.

<i>Krascheninnikovia</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae

Krascheninnikovia is a genus of flowering plants in the subfamily Chenopodioideae of the family Amaranthaceae known as winterfat, so-called because it is a nutritious livestock forage. They are known from Eurasia and western North America. These are hairy perennials or small shrubs which may be monoecious or dioecious. They bear spike inflorescences of woolly flowers.

<i>Acanthophyllum</i> Genus of flowering plants in the pink family Caryophyllaceae

Acanthophyllum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae with about 75 species, spread in the Irano-Turanian area.

<i>Petrorhagia saxifraga</i> Species of flowering plant

Petrorhagia saxifraga, known as tunic flower or coat flower, is a small, herbaceous flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is native to parts of Europe and introduced to the United States and Canada, Great Britain, and Sweden. Petrorhagia saxifraga is also known as tunic saxifrage, pink saxifrage, or just pink.

<i>Eremogone</i> Genus of Caryophyllaceae plants

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References

  1. 1 2 "Saponaria L." Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Thieret, 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.
  3. 1 2 RHS A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. ISBN   978-1405332965.
  4. 1 2 Ghazanfar, Shahina A.; Nasir, Yasin J. "Saponaria". Flora of Pakistan via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  5. Coombes, A. J. (2012). The A to Z of Plant Names . USA: Timber Press. p.  265. ISBN   9781604691962.
  6. Elliot, Doug (July 1995). Wild Roots: Forager's Guide to the Edible and Medicinal Roots, Tubers, Corms and Rhizomes of North America. Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. ISBN   978-0892815388.
  7. 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.
  8. Lu, Dequan; Lidén, Magnus; Oxelman, Bengt. "Saponaria". Flora of China. Vol. 6 via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  9. Jürgens, Andreas; Witt, Taina; Gottsberger, Gerhard (2003). "Flower scent composition in Dianthus and Saponaria species (Caryophyllaceae) and its relevance for pollination biology and taxonomy" (PDF). Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 31 (4): 345–57. Bibcode:2003BioSE..31..345J. doi:10.1016/S0305-1978(02)00173-4.
  10. Hartman, Ronald L.; Rabeler, Richard K. (2012). "Saponaria". In Jepson Flora Project (ed.). Jepson eFlora. The Jepson Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley.