Saponaria officinalis L.

English: Soapwort

German: Echtes Seifenkraut

Mandarin: 肥皂草 (fei zao cao)

Portuguese: Erva-saboeira

Kingdom: Plantae (2659)

  Phylum: Tracheophyta (2572)

    Class: Magnoliopsida (2167)

      Order: Caryophyllales (112)

        Family: Caryophyllaceae (38)(family description)

          Genus: Saponaria (1)

            Epithet: officinalis L. (11)

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

• [685] Saponaria officinalis - Plants For A Future database

• [31] Canzobre, H.L., Samartín, L.A. (1998): Guía da flora do litoral galego. Edicións Xerais de Galicia, Vigo, Spain.