Saponaria officinalis L.
bouncing-bett (bouncingbet; soapwort)
Caryophyllaceae (Pink family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Jamie Fenneman     (Photo ID #19741)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Saponaria officinalis
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Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a stout, branched rhizome and long stolons; stems erect or ascending, several, simple or branched above, glabrous or nearly glabrous, forming large clumps, 30-90 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves opposite, as many as 20 pairs, lanceolate to oblanceolate, 4-10 cm long, 1.5-4 cm wide, short-stalked or the upper ones unstalked; stipules lacking.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of numerous flowers in many tight clusters, fragrant, often double; petals 5, white to pink, stalklike at the base, stalk of the petals usually slightly exceeding the calyces, the blade mostly 10-15 mm long, egg-shaped to wedge-shaped with 2 linear appendages near the base, shallowly notched at the tip; sepals 5, green, united, forming a tube 15-20 mm long, with 5 teeth at the tip.
Fruits:
Oblong to narrowly egg-shaped capsules, to 25 mm long, 4- or 5-valved; seeds black, about 1.7 mm long, concentrically pimply.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
Purple
Blooming Period:
Late Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present over the Summer
Source:  The USDA

Habitat and Range

Dry roadsides and waste places in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; infrequent in SW and SC BC; introduced from Eurasia.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Lychnis saponaria Jessen
Saponaria officinalis var. glaberrima Ser.