Blake Revision of Polygala 7 



been indicated by letters (B = British Museum of Natural His- 

 tory; G = Gray Herbarium; J = Herbarium of the Botanic De- 

 partment of Jamaica ; K = Kew. Herbarium). A few species of the 

 southwestern United States, included for comparison with their 

 near relatives of Mexico, and of probable occurrence south of the 

 border, have been distinguished by decimals in the enumeration of 

 species (27.1, etc.). Throughout the revision the term sepals has 

 reference only to the three outer sepals, the two inner being always 

 referred to as wings or alae. The seed-measurements always in- 

 clude the aril (except in one or two specified cases) but (except in 

 the series Trichospermae of Orthoyolygala) do not include the pu- 

 bescence of the seed. The measurements of capsule include the 

 stipe, except where otherwise specified. 



In his last paper on the genus (1914) Chodat has treated the 

 name Polygala as of neuter gender. As a botanical term the word 

 has always been feminine, and I can see no advantage in such a 

 change made at this late day on principles of purism. 



POLYGALA L. 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees, with alternate or rarely verticillate leaves 

 and terminal or axillary rarely extra-axillary racemes of usually 

 purplish flowers. Sepals (i.e. the three outer) herbaceous or the 

 lower two very rarely petaloid, free or the two lower connate, de- 

 ciduous or persistent. Wings (two inner sepals) petaloid or rarely 

 subherbaceous, deciduous or persistent. Petals normally three, 

 united at base; the lower carinate, boat -shaped, sometimes 3-lobed, 

 unappendaged or with an infra-apical beak or fimbriate crest; the 

 two upper united to staminal tube or to keel at least at base; the 

 two lateral petals rarely present, always very small. Stamens 8 or 

 rarely 6, united nearly to apex into a tube split on the upper side, 

 adnate to keel and upper petals at base; anthers opening by apical 

 or introrse-apical pores. Style often elongate, the two stigmata 

 very various, often tufted. Capsule equally or unequally 2-celled, 

 one cell sometimes more or less completely abortive, winged, mar- 

 gined, or marginless, usually membranaceous-herbaceous or her- 

 baceous, rarely subcoriaceous-fleshy; the cells dehiscent *or rarely 

 the lower indehiscent. Seeds ellipsoid or obovoid to fusiform or 

 conic, usually pubescent. Aril very varied (very rarely almost 



