quillaian.
/kwᵻˈleɪə/, U.S. /kwəˈleɪə/ Any of various South American trees constituting the genus Quillaja (family Rosaceae); esp. the soapbark tree, Q. saponaria, of the Chilean and Peruvian Andes; (in form Quillaja) the genus itself. Also: the saponin-rich inner bark of this tree or an extract made from it, used as a substitute for soap, a food additive, etc. Cf. quillay n.
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the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > plants yielding soap > [noun] > other plants yielding soap
soap-tree1666
shagbark1691
quillay1717
quillaia1846
soap-root1846
savonette1864
1846 J. Lindley Veg. Kingdom 564 The Quillaiæ are remarkable for their saponaceous secretions.
1866 J. Lindley & T. Moore Treasury Bot. II. 952/2 Quillaja differs..in the ten stamens being in two instead of one row.
1886 Pall Mall Gaz. 13 Sept. 10/2 Ginger-beer..the head or foam is produced either by white of egg or by quillaia bark.
1910 W. Martindale & W. W. Westcott Extra Pharmacopœia (ed. 14) 721 Acne Lotion.—Decoction of Quillaia 4 ounces, Eau de Cologne 60 minims, Ammonia Solution 40 minims.
1950 Thorpe's Dict. Appl. Chem. (ed. 4) X. 346/1 Quillaia has powerful sternutatory properties and has very little use in medicine. It is used to some extent as a detergent or in shampoos.
1972 Bottlers' Year Bk. 1972–3 388 Quillaia, the dried inner bark of Quillaja saponaria and other allied species. Known as soap bark; employed as a foaming agent.
1999 Ann. Missouri Bot. Garden 86 342/2 The Polygalaceae..and possibly the genus Quillaja..appear to be closely related to the Fabaceae.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1846