What is "saponaria"

Saponin \Sap"o*nin\, n. [L. sapo, -onis soap: cf. F. saponine.] (Chem.) A poisonous glucoside found in many plants, as in the root of soapwort ( Saponaria), in the bark of soap bark ( Quillaia), etc. It is extracted as a white amorphous powder, which occasions a soapy lather in solution, and produces a local an[ae]sthesia. Formerly called also struthiin, quillaiin, senegin, polygalic acid, etc. By extension, any one of a group of related bodies of which saponin proper is the type.

Saponaria is a genus of flowering plants in the pink family, Caryophyllaceae. They are native to Europe and Asia, and are commonly known as soapworts.

They are herbaceous perennials and annuals, some with woody bases. The flowers are abundant, five-petalled and usually in shades of pink or white.

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. The genus name Saponaria derives from the Latin sapo ("soap") and -aria ("pertaining to"), and at least one species, S. officinalis, has been used to make soap. It contains saponins, and a liquid soap could be produced by soaking the leaves in water. This soap is still used to clean delicate antique tapestries.

The genus is closely related to Lychnis and Silene, being distinguished from these by having only two (not three or five) styles in the flower. It is also related to Gypsophila, but its calyx is cylindrical rather than bell-shaped.

Saponaria species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Lychnis, and Coleophora saponariella, which is exclusive to the genus.