''Gypsophila'' () is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants t ...

s in the carnation

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Caryophyllaceae Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactacea ...

. They are

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.''Gypsophila''.
Flora of North America.

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

has a particularly high diversity of ''Gypsophila'' taxa, with about 35

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

species. Some ''Gypsophila'' are

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived there ...

in other regions. The genus name is from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

''gypsos'' ("gypsum") and ''philios'' ("loving"), a reference to the

gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard or sidewalk chalk, and drywa ...

-rich substrates on which some species grow. Plants of the genus are known commonly as baby's-breath, or babe's breath,''Gypsophila''.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) a name which also refers specifically to the well known ornamental species '' Gypsophila paniculata''.

Description

''Gypsophila'' is one of the most heterogeneous and largest groups in the carnation tribe, Caryophylleae. The genus comprises approximately 150 species of

annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year ** Yearbook ** Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), ...

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

herbaceous, creeping or cushion-forming plants, inhabiting primarily the mountainous

steppes In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the temperate grassland ...

in the north

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...

part of the

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by thei ...

with a diversification hotspot in the Irano-Turanian region. These

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...

also show major variation in

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are forme ...

type ranging from many-flowered lax thyrses or

panicles A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle ar ...

(e.g., ''G. elegans'' M.Bieb., ''G. paniculata'' L., ''G. pilosa'' Huds.) to compact head-like cymes ( '' G. capitata'' M.Bieb., '' G. capituliflora'' Rupr., '' G. caricifolia Boiss''.), and few-(uni-)flowered

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...

-like monochasia (e.g., '' G. bazorganica'' Rech.f., '' G. saponarioides'' Bornm. & Gauba). Each small flower has a cup-like calyx of white-edged green

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...

s containing five

petal Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corolla''. Petals are usuall ...

s in shades of white or pink. The fruit is a rounded or oval capsule opening at valves. It contains several brown or black seeds which are often shaped like a

kidney The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blo ...

or a

snail shell The gastropod shell is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, a kind of mollusc. The shell is an exoskeleton, which protects from predators, mechanical damage, and dehydration, but also serves for muscle attachment and calcium storage. Some ...

Uses

A few species are commercially cultivated for several uses, including

floristry Floristry is the production, commerce, and trade in flowers. It encompasses flower care and handling, floral design and arrangement, merchandising, production, display and flower delivery. Wholesale florists sell bulk flowers and related su ...

herbal medicine Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remedie ...

, and food. The baby's-breath most commonly used in flower arrangements such as bouquets is the common gypsophila, ''G. paniculata''.Henry, M
''Gypsophila paniculata'' L. (baby's breath): ''in vitro'' culture and the production of gypsogenin saponins.
In: ''Medicinal and Aromatic Plants IV ''(pp. 187-206). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. 1993. ''G. elegans'' is also used as a cut flower. The genus is a source of

saponin Saponins (Latin "sapon", soap + "-in", one of), also selectively referred to as triterpene glycosides, are bitter-tasting usually toxic plant-derived organic chemicals that have a foamy quality when agitated in water. They are widely distributed ...

s that can be used for many purposes, including the production of

photographic film Photographic film is a strip or sheet of transparent film base coated on one side with a gelatin emulsion containing microscopically small light-sensitive silver halide crystals. The sizes and other characteristics of the crystals determine ...

and hemolytic laboratory

reagent In chemistry, a reagent ( ) or analytical reagent is a substance or compound added to a system to cause a chemical reaction, or test if one occurs. The terms ''reactant'' and ''reagent'' are often used interchangeably, but reactant specifies a ...

s. Their

detergent A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with cleansing properties when in dilute solutions. There are a large variety of detergents, a common family being the alkylbenzene sulfonates, which are soap-like compounds that are m ...

qualities make them useful in

soap Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are us ...

and

shampoo Shampoo () is a hair care product, typically in the form of a viscous liquid, that is used for cleaning hair. Less commonly, shampoo is available in solid bar format. Shampoo is used by applying it to wet hair, massaging the product into the ...

. ''G. rokejeka'' is used to make the

dessert Dessert is a course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. In some parts of the world, such as much of Greece and West Africa, and most parts o ...

halva Halva (also halvah, halwa, and other spellings, Persian : حلوا) is a type of confectionery originating from Persia and widely spread throughout the Middle East. The name is used for a broad variety of recipes, generally a thick paste made f ...

. Species are also ingredients in

liqueur A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyon ...

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During productio ...

, and

ice cream Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as ...

, providing flavor, aroma, and crispness to foods.Korkmaz, M., et al
Economic importance and using purposes of ''Gypsophila'' L. and ''Ankyropetalum'' Fenzl (Caryophyllaceae) of Türkiye.
In: 2nd International Symposium on Sustainable Development, June 8–9, 2010, Sarajevo. Several species are

hyperaccumulator A hyperaccumulator is a plant capable of growing in soil or water with very high concentrations of metals, absorbing these metals through their roots, and concentrating extremely high levels of metals in their tissues. The metals are concentrated a ...

s of

boron Boron is a chemical element with the symbol B and atomic number 5. In its crystalline form it is a brittle, dark, lustrous metalloid; in its amorphous form it is a brown powder. As the lightest element of the '' boron group'' it has t ...

, and may be planted to absorb the element from polluted soils.

Ecology

Some species are known as weeds, including the "aggressive ornamental" ''G. paniculata'', which invades habitat and competes with native flora. The plant Çöven, '' G. simonii'' is widely distributed throughout

Çankırı Çankırı, historically known as Gangra (Greek: Γάγγρα), is the capital city of Çankırı Province, in Turkey, about northeast of Ankara. It is situated about 800 m (2500 ft) above sea level. History Çankırı was known in ...

, where it is a native species, and Turkey. In this study, chemical and physical properties of unripe saponins obtained by extraction from the roots of ''G. simonii'', an endemic plant, were isolated and investigated. Purified aglycones recovered from acid hydrolysis of the saponins were separated by reversed chromatography on a thin layer of silica gel. Phytochemical tests showed the presence of terpenoids in the crude extracts.

Selected species

There are about 150 species in the genus.''Gypsophila''.
The Plant List. Gypsophila aretioides 1

Species include: *'' Gypsophila acantholimoides'' *'' Gypsophila achaia'' *''

Gypsophila acutifolia ''Gypsophila'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the carnation family (biology), family, Caryophyllaceae. They are native plant, native to Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.Gypsophila adenophora'' *'' Gypsophila adenophylla'' *'' Gypsophila albida'' *'' Gypsophila altissima'' *'' Gypsophila antari'' *'' Gypsophila antoninae'' *'' Gypsophila arabica'' *'' Gypsophila aretioides'' *'' Gypsophila arrostii'' – Arrost's baby's-breath *'' Gypsophila aucheri'' *'' Gypsophila aulieatensis'' *'' Gypsophila australis'' *'' Gypsophila bicolor'' *'' Gypsophila capituliflora'' *'' Gypsophila caricifolia'' *'' Gypsophila cephalotes'' *'' Gypsophila davurica'' *'' Gypsophila desertorum'' *''

Gypsophila elegans ''Gypsophila elegans'', the annual baby's-breath or showy baby's-breath, is an ornamental plant native to Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or ...

'' – showy baby's-breath *'' Gypsophila fastigiata'' – fastigiate gypsophila *'' Gypsophila glandulosa'' *'' Gypsophila glomerata'' *'' Gypsophila huashanensis'' *'' Gypsophila imbricata'' *'' Gypsophila intricata'' *'' Gypsophila iranica'' *'' Gypsophila krascheninnikovii'' *'' Gypsophila libanotica'' *'' Gypsophila licentiana'' *'' Gypsophila litwinowii'' *'' Gypsophila nana'' – dwarf gypsophila *'' Gypsophila oldhamiana'' – Manchurian baby's-breath, Oldham's baby's-breath *'' Gypsophila pacifica'' *'' Gypsophila paniculata'' – baby's-breath, common gypsophila, panicled baby's-breath *'' Gypsophila patrinii'' *'' Gypsophila perfoliata'' – perfoliate gypsophila *'' Gypsophila petraea'' *'' Gypsophila pilosa'' – Turkish baby's-breath *'' Gypsophila repens'' – alpine gypsophila, creeping baby's-breath *'' Gypsophila rokejeka'' *'' Gypsophila ruscifolia'' *'' Gypsophila scorzonerifolia'' – glandular baby's-breath, garden baby's-breath *'' Gypsophila sericea'' *'' Gypsophila silenoides'' *'' Gypsophila simonii'' *'' Gypsophila spergulifolia'' *'' Gypsophila spinosa'' *'' Gypsophila stevenii'' – Steven's baby's-breath *'' Gypsophila struthium'' *'' Gypsophila tenuifolia'' *'' Gypsophila tschiliensis'' *'' Gypsophila uralensis'' *'' Gypsophila venusta'' *'' Gypsophila viscosa'' *'' Gypsophila wendelboi'' *'' Gypsophila wilhelminae'' *'' Gypsophila xanthochlora'' ''Gypsophila muralis'' (annual gypsophila, cushion baby's-breath, low baby's-breath) is now placed in the genus '' Psammophiliella''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q161948 Caryophyllaceae genera Saponaceous plants