Saponaria
Genus of flowering plants
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saponaria (commonly known as soapworts) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae.[2] It is usually characterized by pink or white flowers.
| Saponaria | |
|---|---|
| |
| Saponaria ocymoides | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Caryophyllaceae |
| Genus: | Saponaria L. (1753) |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Description
The plants 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]
Taxonomy
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]
Species
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]
There are thirty[4][5] to forty[2][6][7] species in the genus overall.
Plants of the World Online accepts 39 species:[1]
- Saponaria aenesia Heldr.
- Saponaria bargyliana Gomb.
- Saponaria bellidifolia Sm.
- Saponaria biovulata (Stapf) Barkoudah
- Saponaria bodeana Boiss.
- Saponaria caespitosa DC.
- Saponaria calabrica Guss.
- Saponaria cerastoides Fisch. ex C.A.Mey.
- Saponaria cypria Boiss.
- Saponaria dalmasi H.Boissieu
- Saponaria emineana Gemici & Kit Tan
- Saponaria glutinosa M.Bieb.
- Saponaria griffithiana Boiss.
- Saponaria gypsacea Vved.
- Saponaria halophila Hedge & Hub.-Mor.
- Saponaria iranica Dashti, Assadi & Sharifnia
- Saponaria jagelii Phitos & Greuter
- Saponaria karapinarensis Vural & Adıgüzel
- Saponaria kotschyi Boiss.
- Saponaria lutea L.
- Saponaria mesogitana Boiss.
- Saponaria ocymoides L.
- Saponaria officinalis L.
- Saponaria orientalis L.
- Saponaria pachyphylla Rech.f.
- Saponaria pamphylica Boiss. & Heldr.
- Saponaria picta Boiss.
- Saponaria pinetorum Hedge
- Saponaria prostrata Willd.
- Saponaria pumila Janch.
- Saponaria pumilio Boiss.
- Saponaria sewerzowii Regel & Schmalh.
- Saponaria sicula Raf.
- Saponaria stenopetala Rech.f.
- Saponaria subrosularis Rech.f.
- Saponaria suffruticosa Nábělek
- Saponaria syriaca Boiss.
- Saponaria tadzhikistanica (Botsch.) V.A.Shultz
- Saponaria tridentata Boiss.
Etymology
The genus name Saponaria derives from the Latin sapo ("soap") and -aria ("pertaining to"),[2] with at least one species, S. officinalis, being used to make soap.[8]
Ecology
Saponaria species are eaten by the larvae of some butterflies and moths, including the Lychnis and Coleophora saponariella, which is exclusive to the genus.