Note: Do not rely on this information. It is very old.
Soapwort
Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis), a shrubby plant belonging to the order Caryophyllaceae, with broad leaves and a large paniculate cyme of fragrant rose-coloured flowers, often double. It is not uncommon as an escape from cultivation. The whole plant is saponaceous, the root being employed in Asia Minor to bleach silk and wool and give them a lustre.