SAPONARIA* * 
Linnean Class and Order. Deca'ndria f, Digy'nia. 
Natural Order. Caryophy'lle^e, Juss. Gen. PI. p. 299. — 
Caryophy'lle^e ; Tribe, Sile'neaj. — Lindl. Syn. pp. 43 & 44; 
Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 156. — Loud. Hort. Brit. pp. 501 and 
502. — Caryophy'llEjE ; Tribe, Dia'nthe.e. — Rich, by Macgil. 
pp. 507 & 508. — DianthiNjE, Burnett’s Outlines of Bot. p. 805. 
Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1.) inferior, of 1 sepal (monosepalous), 
tubular, 5-toothed, naked at the base, permanent. Corolla of 5 
petals (see fig. 2.), with narrow angular claws the length of the 
calyx ; limb flat, dilated towards the extremity, blunt. Filaments 
(fig. 3.) 10, awl-shaped, as long as the calyx, attached alternately 
to the claws of the petals ; 5 of them later than the rest. Anthers 
oblong, blunt, incumbent. Germen (fig. 4.) somewhat stalked, 
nearly cylindrical. Styles (fig. 4.) 2, upright, parallel, as long as 
the stamens. Stigmas pointed, downy. Capsule (fig. 5.) oblong, 
concealed in the calyx, 1-celled, opening with 4 teeth. Seeds (fig. 6.) 
numerous, small, roundish-kidney-shaped, rather rough, attached 
horizontally to a central, unconnected, columnar receptacle. 
This genus differs from that of Dianthus, in not having any scales 
or bracteae at the base of the calyx ; and it is distinguished from the 
other genera in the same class and order, by a corolla of 5 petals, 
a tubular, 1-leaved calyx, and an oblong, 1-celled, many-seeded 
capsule. 
One species British. 
SAPONA'RIA OFFICINA'LIS. Common Soapwort. 
Spec. Char. Leaves egg-spear-shaped. Calyx cylindrical, 
smooth. 
Engl. Bot. t. 1060. — Curt. FI. Lond. — Woodv. Med. Bot. t. 25. — Linn. Sp. 
PI. p. 584. — Iluds. FI. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 183. — Sm. FI. Brit. v.ii. p. 459- Eng. 
FI. v. ii. p. 284. — With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p.537. — Gray’s Nat. An. v. ii. p.642. — 
Lindl. Syn. p. 45. — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 199. — Sibth. FI. Oxon. p. 138. — Abbot’s 
FI. Bedf. p.94. — Purt. Midi. FI. v. i. p. 208. — R.elh. FI. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 173. 
— Hook. FI. Scot. p. 134. — Grev. FI. Edin. p. 95 — FI. Devon, pp. 72 & 182. — 
Sm. PL of S. Kent, p. 25.— Mack. Catal. p. 43.— Walk. FI. of Oxf. p. 120.— 
Perry’s PL Varvic. Selectas, p.39. — Bab. FI. Bath. p.7. — Ly'chnis Saponaria 
dicta, Ray’s Syn. p. 339. — Saponaria, Johnson’s Gerarde, 444. 
Localities. — Tn meadows, by river sides, on hedge-banks, &c. Not com- 
mon. — Oxfordsh. Stanton Harcourt : Dr. Sibthorp.— Near Marston : Rev. R. 
AVai.ker. — Berks; Hedges near Old Windsor. — Bedfordsh. Bromham, and 
Sharbrook. — Catnbridgesh. Barnwell; Paper-Mills; Granchester; Mading- 
ley; Shelford; Hinton; Comberton, near the Church; and Whittlesford. — 
Cheshire ; On the banks of the Mersey, near Stockport, but rare. — Cumberland ; 
Usemire, and Howtown, Ullswater; and Ake-beck-bridge, by Pooley. In a 
hedge in Aspatria Village, no garden near. Derbysh. Elmeton ; Duffield. — 
Devon; Between Kingsteignton and Sandy Gate; near Bickington ; Wilming- 
ton; and Shaldon, near the Sands : FI. Devon. Road-side between Star-Cross 
and Exeter. — Dorset; Near Milbourne St. Andrews; and in other places in 
hedges of Orchards about villages. — Durham; Chester le Street new bridge: 
Fig. 1. Calyx. — Fig. 2. A Petal. — Fig. 3. The 10 Stamens, and 2 Pistils. — 
Fig. 4. Germen, Styles, and Stigmas. — Fig. 5. A Capsule. — Fig. 6. A Seed. 
* From sapo, Lat. soap ; the leaves being used as a substitute for that arti- 
cle in washing. 
f The 10th class in the Linnean- Artificial System ; it comprehends all those 
plants which have perfect flowers with 10 distinct stamens in each. 
