Såpört

Scientific name: Gypsophila fastigiata

Förekomst: Less common

Såpört is rare in Scania, Dalarna and on Öland and Gotland. It grows on sandy soil on elves, grasslands or in sparse pine forests. On Öland, it is found on alvar lands on the southern and central part of the island up to Borgholm.

Såpört blooms from June to August with white flowers that sit in dense, multi-flowered broom-like bunches.

According to Linnaeus, the root of såpört could be used to wash clothes, as well as såpnejlika. The soil stem contains saponins, which, like soap, dissolve fat.

The species name fastigiata means 'with even top', which refers to the shape of the inflorescence. The family name Gypsophila comes from the Greek gypsos (gypsum, chalk) and filos (like), which means 'grows on chalk'.

The genus has 150 species, two of which, såpört and grusnejlika , occur wild in Sweden. The species is considered a steppe relic in Sweden from the period after the ice age. The world spread mainly includes Poland and Belarus as well as some adjacent areas.

An old name in Sweden is toppfänting.

Såpört hittar du på följande platser:

• Stora alvaret