98 POLYGALA SENEGA. 
_ The species Senega has erect, smooth, simple 
stems, with alternate, lanceolate leaves, broadest at 
base. Flowers slightly crested. 
Class Diadelphia, order Octandria; natural 
orders Lomentacew, Linn. Pediculares, Juss. Prlygn/ Eulnde 
The Polygala senega has a firm, hard, braneli- 
ing perennial root, consisting of a moderately solid 
wood, and a thick bark. This root sends up a 
number of annual stems, which are simple, smooth, 
occasionally tinged with red. The leayes are 
scattered, nearly or quite sessile, lanceolate, with 
a subacute point, smooth, paler underneath., Flow- 
ers white, in a close terminal spike. ‘The calyx, 
which in this genus is the most conspicuous part 
of the flower, consists of five leafets, the two larg- 
est of which, or wings, are roundish-oyate, white, 
and slightly. veined. Corolla small, closed, having 
two obtuse lateral segments, and. a short crested 
extremity. Capsules obcordate, invested by the 
persistent calyx, compressed, two. celled, two 
valyed. . Seeds two oblong-oboyate, acute at one 
end, slightly hairy, curved, blackish, with a longi- 
tudinal, bifid, white appendage on the concave side. 
The spike opens gradually, so that the lower flow- 
ers arein fruit while the OPE ones are in blos- 
som. 
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