POLYGALACEAE 689 



acuminate : keel with a crest of several acute, entire or cleft processes : stamens usually 6 : 

 style slender : seeds fully 1 mm. long, pubescent, the 2 lobes of the caruncle spreading, 

 about J as long as the seed-body. 



In sandy pine lands, South Carolina to Florida, Louisiana and Arkansas. Throughout the year. 



31. Polygala lutea L. Biennial, bright green, glabrous. Stems ascending or decum- 

 bent, 1-3 dm. long, sometimes tufted, simple or sparingly branched : leaves fleshy, the 

 basal spatulate or obovate, or the blades ovate, 1-5 cm. long, rounded or notched at the 

 apex ; lower stem-leaves similar to the basal, the upper ones varying through oblanceolate 

 to linear-elliptic or nearly linear, acute or acutish, sessile or the petioles short: racemes 

 dense, ovoid, subglobose or oblong, 1-1.5 cm. thick, long- or short-peduncled ; rachis 1-5 

 cm. long : pedicels 1.5-2 mm. long, their bracts deciduous : flowers orange-yellow, drying 

 greenish yellow : wings obovate-elliptic, 4-6 mm. long, cuspidate, commonly 7-nerved : 

 keel with a small flmbi-iate crest : stamens 8 : style slender : prolonged into a curved tufted 

 appendage : seeds nearly 1.5 mm. long, slightly pubescent, the 2 lobes of the caruncle nar- 

 row, nearly as long as the seed-body. 



In low pine lands, New York to Florida and Mississippi. Spring and summer. Wild Bachelor's 

 Button. 



32. Polygala Rug61ii Shuttlw. Biennial, bright green, glabrous Stems erect or as- 

 cending, 3-7 dm. tall, sometimes tufted, simple or sparingly branched above : leaves fleshy, 

 the basal and lower stem-leaves spatulate, 2.5-5 cm. long, obtuse, upper stem-leaves alter- 

 nate, oblanceolate to lanceolate, shorter and smaller than the stem-leaves, acute, sessile : 

 racemes dense, ovoid or subglobose, 15-20 mm. thick, long-peduncled : rachis 2-3.5 cm. 

 long : pedicels 3-4 mm. long, their bi-acts deciduous : flowers yellow, turning dark green in 

 drying : wings obovate or eliiptic-obovate, about 7 mm. long, cuspidate, 7-9-nerved as the 

 other sepals : keel crested with a few thick processes, entire or 2-cleft : stamens 8: style 

 slender, auricled at the base of the slender-stalked drooping stigma, produced into a tufted 

 appendage : seeds 1.5 mm. long, pubescent, the 2 lobes of the caruncle about as long as 

 the seed-body, spongy. 



In pine lands, Florida. Spring to fall. 



33. Polygala Baldwinii Nutt. Biennial, pale green, glabrous. Stems erect, 2-6 

 dm. tall, simple or branching above, corymbosely branched at the top, sometimes tufted : 

 leaves thickish, the basal spatulate or obovate, 1-3 cm. long: stem-leaves alternate ; blades 

 obovate, narrowly spatulate to lanceolate, shorter than the basal leaves, acute : corymbs 

 simple or compound : racemes ovoid or subglobose, the rachis 1-3 cm. long : flowers white, 

 fragrant, nearly sessile : wings ovate-lanceolate, about 4 ram. long, narrowed into a slender 

 tip : keel with a minute fimbriate crest : stamens 8 : style slender : capsule minute, barely 

 0.7 nun. broad : seeds about 0.5 mm. long, pubescent, brown, the caruncle with 2 minute 

 scale-like lobes. 



In pine lands and swamps, Georgia and Florida to Mississippi. Summer. 



34. Polygala ramosa Ell. Biennial, bright green, glabrous. Stems simple below 

 and erect or branched at the base, 1-5 dm. tall, corymbosely branched above : leaves thick- 

 ish, the basal with spatulate or obovate blades, 2-3 cm. long and short petioles : stem-leaves 

 alternate ; blades narrowly spatulate, oblanceolate to linear, shorter than the basal, acute ; 

 corymbs compound : racemes ovoid or oblong ; rachis 1-2 cm. long : pedicels about 2 mm. 

 long, the bracts lanceolate, 1-1.5 mm. long : flowers yellow, turning dark green or blackish 

 in drying : wings ovate-lanceolate or oblong, about 3 mm. long, acuminate, twice or thrice 

 larger than the other sepals : keel with a small fimbriate crest : stamens 8 : style slender, 

 broadened and auricled near the almost sessile stigma, prolonged into a curled appendage 

 with a tufted sometimes 2-lobed end : seeds about 0.5 mm. broad, pubescent, brown, the 

 caruncle of 2 scale-like lobes. 



In swamps, Delaware to Florida and Texas. Summer and fall. 



35. Polygala cymosa Walt. Biennial, glabrous throughout. Stems solitary, erect, 

 4-12 dm. tall, scape-like, corymbosely branched above : leaves thick, the basal numerous ; 

 blades linear, spreading, 5-20 cm. long, acuminate, sessile : stem-leaves smaller, few, scat- 

 tered : corymbs simple or compound : racemes ovoid or cylindric ; rachis 1-5 cm. long : 

 pedicels about 2 mm. long, their bracts lanceolate, persistent : flowers lemon-yellow, turn- 

 ing blackish green in drying : wings elliptic or narrowly obovate, mucronate, about 4 mm. 

 long, nearly twice as large as the other sepals : keel with a crest of a few small processes : 

 stamens 8 : style broadened at the middle, prolonged into a curved appendage : stigma 

 lateral, short-stalked : seeds 0.8 mm. in diameter, brown, glabrous, the caruncle ob- 

 solete. 



In pine-land pools, Delaware to Florida and Louisiana. Spring and summer. 



44 



