[4] The genus name is from the Greek gypsos ("gypsum") and philios ("loving"), a reference to the gypsum-rich substrates on which some species grow.

[4] Plants of the genus are known commonly as baby's-breath, or bebe's breath,[4][7] a name which also refers specifically to the well known ornamental species Gypsophila paniculata.

The genus comprises approximately 150 species of annual or perennial herbaceous, creeping or cushion-forming plants, inhabiting primarily the mountainous steppes in the north temperate part of the Old World with a diversification hotspot in the Irano-Turanian region.

[8] These species also show major variation in inflorescence type ranging from many-flowered lax thyrses or panicles (e.g., G. elegans M.Bieb., G. paniculata L., G. pilosa Huds.)

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.