( 1780 ) 

 POLYGALA SPECIOSA. SlIEWY MlLK-WORT. 



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Cfoss ««cZ Order. 



DlADELPHIA OcTANDRIA. 



Generic Character. 



Cal. 5-phyllus : foliolis 2 alasformibus, coloratis. Legumen 

 obcordatum, biloculare. 



Specific Character. 



• cristata frutico 

 jatis subterminal 

 alternis oblongo-cuneatis giabris. 



Polygala speciosa ; cristata fruticosa, appendice duplici, 

 racemis ebracteatis subterminalibus multifloris, foliis 



Descr. Stem shrubby, upright, very little divided, green, 

 tinged with purple, roughened by the vestiges of fallen leaves. 

 Leaves either scattered or alternate, oblong, narrowed to- 

 wards the base, emarginate frequently with a mucro ; some 

 of the smaller ones are obcordate. Flowers large, bright 

 purple, growing in a long nearly terminal raceme (in some 

 native specimens in several racemes), alternate and rather 

 distant. The three external calycine leaflets green, concave : 

 upper one rather larger than the rest : two internal petal- 

 like leaflets (alee) many times larger than the external, 

 roundish obtuse, beautifully veined, patent, or even reflected 

 like the wings of a butterfly ; these wings form the principal 

 part of the flower. Corolla has no vexillum, the place of 

 which is supplied by the upper external leaflet of the calyx ; 

 the alee of the corolla are small, pendent, and connivent ; 

 carina large, compressed, canoe-shaped, terminated by two 

 large brush-like, bright crimson appendices. Stamens eight, 

 enclosed within the carina : filaments all connate at the lower 

 part. Anthers oblong, affixed by their base. Germen ob- 

 cordate : style incurved : stigma bifid, one lacinia erect, 



emarginate, 



