Blake Revision of Polygala 5 



Some species here included in Hebantha on foliage-characters have 

 however the aril much as in Microthrix, and in some cases it may 

 be necessary to search in the keys of both subsections to determine 

 a plant whose position is not clear. A satisfactory grouping of the 

 species in this subsection (Euhebecarpa) must await the discovery 

 of mature seeds in all the species. 



Chodat (Monog. i. 50-51 (1891)) has fallen into error in ascrib- 

 ing extra-axillary racemes to this subgenus. The apparently extra- 

 axillary racemes commonly seen in many species are in reality ter- 

 minal, their position being due to the excessive growth of a normal 

 axillary branch from at or near the base of the originally terminal 

 peduncle, a process which may be several times repeated on the 

 same stem. Only in Hebeclada and Chamaebuxus have I found ap- 

 parently extra-axillary racemes that were not clearly susceptible of 

 explanation in this way. 



4. Hebeclada. A strictly American and very distinct group, rep- 

 resented in the region under consideration by fifteen species, herbs 

 or shrubs, sometimes annuals, with rather loose racemes of purple 

 flowers. The lower sepals are united nearly or quite to apex, and 

 with the upper sepal and the often strongly inequilateral petaloid 

 wings are very persistent. The aril in this group is large or medium, 

 corneous, lobeless or with three very inconspicuous lobes, and with- 

 out scarious margin. Although connate lower sepals do not occur 

 in any other American Polygalas, there are a number of African 

 and Madagascarene species of Orthopolygala (subsect. X. Chodat, 

 in part) where they are likewise found. 



5. Chamaebuxus. This subgenus, as sectionally defined by Cho- 

 dat, was distinguished by its more or less crested keel, peculiar 

 stigmata, deciduous sepals and wings, and especially by the posses- 

 sion of an annular or gland-like disc at the base of the ovary. The 

 Mexican species, with a few others from the southwestern United 

 States, form a most distinct section in which the crest of the keel 

 is an entire conic or cylindric closed beak. In a single species, 

 P. desertorum Brandegee, the sepals and wings are long-persistent 

 as in Orthopolygala, but the rostrate keel and other characters place 

 the species in Chamaebuxus. 



6. Orthopolygala. This large subgenus, including about three- 

 quarters of the known Polygalas of the world, is less abundantly 

 represented in Mexico and the West Indies, where it includes 



