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Saponaria

 
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Saponaria
 
 
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Saponaria, also known as soapworts, is a genus of about 20 species of perennial
Perennial plant

A perennial plant or perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. When used by gardeners or horticulturalists, this term applies specifically to perennial herbaceous plants....
 herb
Herb

A herb is a plant that is valued for qualities such as medicinal properties, flavor, scent, or the like....
s in the Caryophyllaceae
Caryophyllaceae

The Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. The species are dicotyledons included in the order Caryophyllales....
, native to southern Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
 and southwest Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
. The most familiar species in Europe is the Common Soapwort (S. officinalis), locally simply known as "the Soapwort". They grow to a height of 10-60 cm, with opposite leaves
Leaf

In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant Organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues....
 1-6 cm long. The flower
Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproduction structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds....
s are produced in tight clusters on the stem, 4-25 mm diameter, with five white, yellow, pink, or pale purple petals.

The genus is closely related to Lychnis
Lychnis

Lychnis is a genus of 15-25 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Europe, Asia and north Africa. The genus is closely related to Silene, differing in the flowers having five styles , the seed capsule having five teeth , and in the sticky stems of Lychnis....
 and Silene
Silene

Silene is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae. Common names include campion and catchfly.Red Campion and White Campion are common wildflowers throughout Europe and elsewhere....
, being distinguished from these by having only two (not three or five) styles in the flower.

Saponaria species are used as food plants by the larva
Larva

A larva is a young form of animal with indirect developmental biology, going through or undergoing metamorphosis .The larva can look completely different from the adult form, for example, a caterpillar differs from a butterfly....
e of some Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera is an order of insect that includes moths and butterfly. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterfly, skipper , and Hedylidae....
 species including The Lychnis
Lychnis (moth)

The Lychnis is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in northern and western Europe.This species has dark brown forewings marked with two prominent white-bordered glossary of Lepidopteran termsta and a white subterminal line....
 and Coleophora saponariella
Coleophora

Coleophora is a very large genus of moths of the family Coleophoridae with around 1000 described species. The genus is represented on all continents but the majority are found in the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions....
 (which feeds exclusively on Saponaria spp).

worts are cultivated for their attractive flowers; they grow freely in any soil and under most conditions.






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Encyclopedia


Saponaria, also known as soapworts, is a genus of about 20 species of perennial
Perennial plant

A perennial plant or perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. When used by gardeners or horticulturalists, this term applies specifically to perennial herbaceous plants....
 herb
Herb

A herb is a plant that is valued for qualities such as medicinal properties, flavor, scent, or the like....
s in the Caryophyllaceae
Caryophyllaceae

The Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. The species are dicotyledons included in the order Caryophyllales....
, native to southern Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
 and southwest Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
. The most familiar species in Europe is the Common Soapwort (S. officinalis), locally simply known as "the Soapwort". They grow to a height of 10-60 cm, with opposite leaves
Leaf

In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant Organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues....
 1-6 cm long. The flower
Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproduction structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds....
s are produced in tight clusters on the stem, 4-25 mm diameter, with five white, yellow, pink, or pale purple petals.

The genus is closely related to Lychnis
Lychnis

Lychnis is a genus of 15-25 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Europe, Asia and north Africa. The genus is closely related to Silene, differing in the flowers having five styles , the seed capsule having five teeth , and in the sticky stems of Lychnis....
 and Silene
Silene

Silene is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae. Common names include campion and catchfly.Red Campion and White Campion are common wildflowers throughout Europe and elsewhere....
, being distinguished from these by having only two (not three or five) styles in the flower.

Saponaria species are used as food plants by the larva
Larva

A larva is a young form of animal with indirect developmental biology, going through or undergoing metamorphosis .The larva can look completely different from the adult form, for example, a caterpillar differs from a butterfly....
e of some Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera is an order of insect that includes moths and butterfly. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterfly, skipper , and Hedylidae....
 species including The Lychnis
Lychnis (moth)

The Lychnis is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in northern and western Europe.This species has dark brown forewings marked with two prominent white-bordered glossary of Lepidopteran termsta and a white subterminal line....
 and Coleophora saponariella
Coleophora

Coleophora is a very large genus of moths of the family Coleophoridae with around 1000 described species. The genus is represented on all continents but the majority are found in the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions....
 (which feeds exclusively on Saponaria spp).

Cultivation and uses

Soapworts are cultivated for their attractive flowers; they grow freely in any soil and under most conditions. The crushed leaves or roots of S. officinalis have been used as a soap since the Renaissance. Museum
Museum

A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment, for the purposes of education, study, and entertainment", as defined by the International Coun...
 conservators still use the soap made from its leaves and roots for cleaning delicate fabrics and it also makes a fine shampoo.