Saponaria

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Saponaria
Saponaria ocymoides
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Genus: Saponaria
L. (1753)
Species

30-40, see text

Synonyms[1]
  • Bootia Neck. (1768), nom. illeg.
  • Pleioneura Rech.f. (1951)
  • Proteinia (Ser.) Rchb. (1841)
  • Smegmathamnium Fenzl ex Rchb. (1844)
  • Spanizium Griseb. (1843)

Saponaria is a

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

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]

References

  1. ^ a b "Saponaria L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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. ^ .
  4. ^ a b 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. .
  6. .
  7. . 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. .
  10. ^ Hartman, Ronald L.; Rabeler, Richard K. (2012). "Saponaria". In Jepson Flora Project (ed.). Jepson eFlora. The Jepson Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley.

External links