Soap Plant
Chlorogalum pomeridianum
Like all soap plants, Chlorogalum pomeridianum is a perennial herb that grows from an underground bulb. The brown bulb, which is covered in thick, coarse fibers, is 7-15 cm in diameter and slightly elongated. The wavy-edged leaves are long and narrow, sprouting from the base of the plant. The bright green leaves are 20-70 cm wide and 2-4 cm wide. The small, white flowers bud from long, thin stems, which extend beyond the leaves. The six petals are long and curving, with a notable strip of purple or green down the middle. The orange-yellow stamens of the plant (the long pollen heavy protrusions from the center of the flower) are larger than the flower itself.
Basic Information
Member of the Agavaceae (Agave) family, but it more closely resembles a Lily with its delicate, white flowers
There are three recognized varieties of Chlorogalum pomeridianum
Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. divaricatum — endemic to low-elevation coastal regions of California (the Central Coast and southern parts of the North Coast)
Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. minus — endemic to the inner north and outer south Pacific Coast Ranges of California, and the San Francisco Bay Area. This variety has a less fibrous bulb than the others.
Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. pomeridianum— found throughout the range of the species
Is a drought-deciduous herb, so the plant usually disappears entirely by the dry, late summer
Habitat
Native to most of California, excluding the Sierra Nevada and the deserts, and the south-west of Oregon
most common and most widely distributed of the Soap Plants
Commonly found on dry bluffs, slopes and flats in grassland, sage scrub, chaparral, or woodland ecosystems
Ecological Role
Numerous small insects, such as native bees and hoverflies, are attracted to the flowers
Reproduction
The flowers are bisexual, having both female and male parts
The flowers open only in the late afternoon or evening and remain open throughout the night, closing by morning
Pollinated largely nocturnal insects
Alternative Names
Amole, Soaproot, Wavyleaf Soap Plant
In the Nomlaki language the Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. pomeridianum variety is called shlā
Historical Uses
The common name Soaproot refers to use of the bulb as a scrub brush of sorts by Native people
Bulbs were used to stun fish in pools of water, as the bulb’s chemicals temporarily prevented oxygenation in fish
Soap plant, snowberries, and buckeyes were used similarly by local tribes including the Ohlone, Cahuilla, and Luiseno
