Habit: Perennial herb, erect, rhizomed.
Leaf: petioled or not; blade oblanceolate to ovate; veins 3.
Inflorescence: terminal, dense; flowers 20--40+; pedicels generally 0--3 mm.
Flower: sepals 5, fused, tube prominent, 15--20 mm, 4--8 mm diam, lanceolate to oblong, rounded, veins 20, obscure, lobes 5, 1.5--5 mm, triangular-acuminate; petals 5, 25--40 mm, claw long, limb entire to +- obcordate, appendages 2; stamens fused with petals to ovary stalk; styles 2, 12--15 mm.
Fruit: capsule, +- ovoid; stalk 2--3 mm; valves 4, ascending to recurved.
Seed: many, +- purple to black.
Species In Genus: 40 species: Eurasia, northern Africa.
Etymology: (Latin: soap, from sap lathering with water)
Note: Saponaria ocymoides L. not in California.
Jepson eFlora Author: Ronald L. Hartman & Richard K. Rabeler
Reference: Thieret & Rabeler 2005 FNANM 5:157--158
Jepson Online Interchange
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