Common name
English: Soapwort
German: Echtes Seifenkraut
Mandarin: 肥皂草 (fei zao cao)
Portuguese: Erva-saboeira
English: Soapwort
German: Echtes Seifenkraut
Mandarin: 肥皂草 (fei zao cao)
Portuguese: Erva-saboeira
Kingdom: Plantae (2633)
Phylum: Tracheophyta (2537)
Class: Magnoliopsida (2145)
Order: Caryophyllales (124)
Family: Caryophyllaceae (38)(family description)
Genus: Saponaria (1)
Epithet: officinalis L. (12)
Synonyms: Bootia vulgaris Neck., Lychnis saponaria Jessen
officinalis => of practical use to man; official species in commerce, especially for medicinal purposes
saponaria => refers to a soaplike substance called saponin
vulgaris => common, everyday
Climate: temperate
Habitat: mesophytic
Habit: herb
Flower colour: white
Check for Saponaria officinalis at
World Flora Online, GBIF or IPNI