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Bouncing Bet. Soapwort

Saponaria officinalis. Pink Family.

Stem.--Rather stout; swollen at the joints. Leaves.--Oval; opposite. Flowers.--Pink or white; clustered. Calyx.--Of five united sepals. Corolla.--Of five pinkish, long-clawed petals (frequently the flowers are double). Stamens.--Ten. Pistil.--One, with two styles. A cheery pretty plant is this with large, rose-tinged flowers which are especially effective when double.

Bouncing Bet is of a sociable turn and is seldom found far from civilization, delighting in the proximity of farm-houses and their belongings, in the shape of children, chickens, and cattle. She comes to us from England, and her "feminine comeliness and bounce" suggest to Mr. Burroughs a Yorkshire housemaid. The generic name is from sapo-soap-and refers to the lather which the juice forms with water, and which is said to have been used as a substitute for soap.