/ ? r
[ ™ 6o ]
SAPONARIA officinalis.
S o apw o rt.
DECANDRIA Digynia,
G e n . Ch a r . Cal. of i leaf, naked. Petals 5, with
claws. Cap/, fuperior, oblong, mqftly of 1 cell.
Spec. Char. Calyx cylindrical. Leaves elliptic-
lanceolate.
S y n . Saponaria officinalis. Linn. Sp. P I. 584. Sm.
F I. B rit. 459. H ud/. 183. With. 408. Hull. 94.
Relh. 167. Sibtb. 138. Abbot. 94. Curt. Lond.
fa fc . 2. t. 29. Woodv. Suppl. t. 2 5 1 .
Lychnis Saponaria didta. R ail Syn. 339.
G a t h e r e d by the fides of woods between the Half-way
houfe and Gad’s-hill in the way to Rochefter, where it is mod
afluredly wild, as well as in many other parts of the kingdom
«about hedges and thickets, flowering in Auguft and September.
Root perennial, deep and much branched, producing many
upright, round, leafy, panicled (terns, about 18 inches high.
Every part of the herb is fmooth, and (lightly fucculent. Leaves
oppofite, joined at the bafe, broad-lanceolate, entire, 3-ribbed.
Panicle roundifh, of numerous handfome blufh-coloured
flowers, whofe very fweet fcent is to many perfons opprefiive.
The claw of each petal is remarkable for having four angles or
wings. The flowers are fometimes found double, in which
date they are often cultivated in gardens.------The mod remarkable
variety, however, is that called Saponaria concava
anglicana, found by Gerarde in Northampton (hi re, with broad
Iheathing alternate leaves, and a monopetalous corolla. This
had been thought a loft plant, but was difcovered laft year
by Dr. Bollock of Liverpool on fand-hills about 7 miles north
of that town growing under the (hade of Pofiulus alba.
Soapwort is fo called from a property in the herb of
forming a lather with water, and anfwering, though very imperfectly,
the purpofes of foap.