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Chlorogalum
Also called Soap Plants, Soapplant
The common names soap plant, soaproot and amole refer to the genus Chlorogalum. They are native to western North America, with some species in Oregon but mostly found in California. Common names of the genus and several species derive from their use as soap.
Soap plants are perennial plants, with more or less elongated bulbs, depending on the species. The bulbs can be white or brown, and in most species have a fibrous coat. The flowers are borne on a long central stem, and appear to have six separate petals (not all are petals in the technical sense). There are six stamens, which are prominent in most species.
The fibers surrounding the bulb were widely used, bound together, to make small brushes. Extracts of the bulbs could also be used as a sealant or glue.
Narrowleaf soap plant · Red hills soap plant · Wavyleaf soap plant
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Chlorogalum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
