Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Caryophyllales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Saponaria officinalis
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Read more about Soapwort at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Saponaria officinalis
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Saponaria officinalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 5 (2005)
Saponaria officinalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 071-15-001:
Saponaria officinalis FAMILY Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Saponaria officinalis
COMMON NAME:
Soapwort, Bouncing Bet
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_saof4_001_lvd
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_saof4_010_lvd
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Stephanie C. Brundage scb_061917blairsville23
June Union County GA
Georgia Mountain Research & Education Center
A green or red-tinged calyx tube, 10 protruding stamens and usually 2 styles, per Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019).
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Stephanie C. Brundage scb_061917blairsville24
June Union County GA
Georgia Mountain Research & Education Center
Leaves sessile or clasping, strongly 3-veined, smooth, per Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019).
)
Stephanie C. Brundage scb_061917blairsville25
June Union County GA
Georgia Mountain Research & Education Center
)
Terry Holdsclaw tdh_s_officinalis_7969
June Catawba County NC
Petals narrowly wedge-shaped, indented at the summit, and somewhat reflexed, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
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Terry Holdsclaw tdh_s_officinalis_7979
June Catawba County NC
Inflorescence a dense cluster of flowers atop the thick-jointed stem, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).
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Terry Holdsclaw tdh_s_officinalis_7985
June Catawba County NC
When mixed with water, crushed leaves & roots make lather, hence "Soapwort", per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Saponaria officinalis
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Saponaria officinalis
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Saponaria officinalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 5
Saponaria officinalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 071-15-001:
Saponaria officinalis
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Saponaria officinalis
1319
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Disturbed areas, fields, roadsides, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Europe
Common (uncommon in Coastal Plain of GA & SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Opposite
Leaves sessile or clasping
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Nearly white/ light pink
Radially symmetrical
5-lobed calyx
5-limbed corolla
10 exserted stamens
Superior ovary
Usually bisexual
Flowers in dense cymes
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p392
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p543
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977) p258
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p131
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p011
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p067
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p056
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p078
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p039
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".