Quillaja saponaria

Soap bark tree
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Quillajaceae
Genus:	Quillaja
Species:	Q. saponaria
Binomial name
	Quillaja saponaria; Molina

Soap bark tree (Quillaja saponaria) is a tree of the family Quillajaceae.^[1] In commerce, it is known as Panama wood. The tree grows naturally from warm temperate central Chile north to Bolivia and Peru. It can grow to 15 m (49 ft) to 20 m (66 ft) high. The Soap bark tree gets its name because the inner bark can be made into a powder which can be used as soap. Its compounds are also used as foam in beer and other drinks. The tree also has medicinal uses.^[2]

Morphology

Quillay is an evergreen tree, with grey bark. Alternate leaves, glaber, acute apex and obtuse base, bright green, near entire margins with 4-8 teeth. Flowers light green or white, hermaphrodite, pentamer, radiate. Five petals, 5 sepals, 10 stamens and 5 pistils. Fruit: a star-shape capsule, with winged seeds.

star shape capsule

Quillaja Saponaria Media

Quillaja saponaria in bloom, University of California, Berkeley, USA, July 2019 (by Amber Kerr).
Q. saponaria in a Chilean medicinal plant postage stamp series
Sclerophyll forests in the Santiago Metropolitan Region in Chile.

References

↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named V Tech.
↑ "Database Entry for Quillaja - Quillaja saponaria Quillaja - Quillaja saponaria Quillaja - Quillaja saponaria Quillaja - Quillaja saponaria". Archived from the original on 2007-12-11. Retrieved 2007-12-18.

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[2] "Database Entry for Quillaja - Quillaja saponaria Quillaja - Quillaja saponaria Quillaja - Quillaja saponaria Quillaja - Quillaja saponaria". Archived from the original on 2007-12-11. Retrieved 2007-12-18.

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