Saponaria. CARYOPHYLLACE^. 103 



9. SAPONARIA. Linn. ■ DC. prodr. 1. p. 365. SOAP-WORT 



[ Prom the Latin, sapo, soap ; its mucilage having been used as a substitute for that article.] 



Calyx tubular, 5-toothed, without scales at the base. Petals 5 ; claws as long as the calyx. 

 Stamens 10. Styles 2. Capsule 1-celled throughout. 



1. Saponaria officinalis, Linn. Common Soap-icort. Bouncing Bet 

 Fascicles of flowers paniculate ; calyx cylindrical, smooth ; crown of the petals linear ; 



leaves oval or oval-lanceolate. — Smith, fi. Brit. 3. p. 459 ; Eng. hot. t. 1060 ; Pursh, ji. 1. 

 p. 314 ; Torr. fl. \. p. 447 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 179 ; DC. prodr. 1. p. 365 ; Darlingt. fl. 

 Cest. p. 272 ; Torr. 4- Gr. fl. N. Am. 1. p. 195. 



Perennial ; about a foot high, spreading very much by the roots. Flowers large, often 

 double, rose-color. 



Road-sides, waste grounds, and about houses ; common. July - August. Introduced. 



The leaves form a lather with water. The plant was formerly used to cure the itch. 



2. Saponaria Vaccaria, Linn. Perfoliate Soap-wort. 



Flowers in paniculate cymes ; calyx pyramidal, 5-ai1gled, smooth ; bracts membranaceous, 

 acute ; leaves ovate-lanceolate, sessile. — DC. prodr. 1. p. 365 ; Torr. ^ Gr. fl,. N. Am. 1. 

 p. 195. 



Annual. .Stem 1-2 feet high. Flowers rose-color. 



Cultivated grounds ; rare. July - August. Hardly naturalized. 



Tribe III. MOLLUGINE^. 



Sepals united at the base. Disk none. Petals mostly none. Stamens hypogynous. Capsule 

 completely 3 - 5-celled. 



10. MOLLUGO. Linn. ; Endl. gen. 5186. Indian Ciiickweed. 



[An ancient name of a plant sujiposed to be Galium MoUugo, which resembles some of the species of this genus.] 



Sepals 5, united at the base. Petals none. Stamens 3-5, opposite the sepals ; or very 

 rarely 6 - 10, when the exterior ones are alternate with the sepals, hypogynous. Disk 

 none. Stigmas 3, linear. Capsule membranaceous, 3-valved, 3-celled, loculicidal, many- 

 seeded. — Annual, diffusely branched plants. Leaves pseudo-verticillatc or opposite. 

 Flowers in axillary or dichotomous cymulcs or umbels. 



