POLYGAI.K/E. 47 



I. PoLYGALA. Milkwort. 



Calycine sepals 5, persistent ; the two inner wing- 

 shaped. Petals 3-5, connected with the tube of the 

 stamens ; the lowest one keel-shaped. Capsule com- 

 pressed, elliptic, obovate or obcordate. Seeds pubes- 

 cent : hilum carunculated, destitute of a tuft — De 

 Cand. ahbr. 



Name, from croXu much, and yaXa milk ; from the ancients, 

 according to Dioscorides, having an idea, that the common 

 milkwort had the property of exciting the secretion of milk. 



1. Polygala paniculata. Panicled Milkwort. 



Racemes subspiked rather lax elongated peduncled, 

 wings ovali-oblong scarcely longer than the capsule, 

 leaves sparse linear acute, stem erect very much 

 branched. 



Swartz, Obs. 272. t. 6. f. 2.—Brotvne, 287. 



HAB. Common in mountain pastures. 



FL. The cooler months of the year. 



Herbaceous, erect, 8-12 inches in height, terete, to the 

 glass puberulous with most minute capitate hairs : branches 

 numerous, subdivided, leafy. Leaves scattered, subpetiolate, 

 an inch in length, lineari-lanceolate, acute, subentire, glabrous, 

 to the glass punctulated. Racemes subterminal, erect, many 

 flowered, 3-4 inches long : peduncle angulose, to the glass 

 puberulous with capitate hairs. Flowers purple, on short te- 

 rete purplish pedicels, nodding. Sepals 5 ; the 3 outer ones 

 small, greenish with a purple tinge : the 2 inner oblong, white. 

 Petals 3 ; the inferior petal greenish, clawed, truncated and 

 multifido-cristate, with 10 long subulate spreading, at first pur- 

 ple, afterwards white teeth, at the apex. Stamens 8 : filaments 

 short, monadelphous at the base, accrete to the wings : anthers 

 small, globose, yellow. Ovary compressed, obcordate ; style 

 erect, thickened and incurved towards the stigma, which is 2- 

 lipped. Capsule oblong, eraarginate at both ends, compressed, 

 2-celled, opening at the sides, 2-seeded : seeds oblong, brown, 

 hairy, to the glass echinated. 



An interesting and beautiful inhabitant of our mountain pas- 

 tures. Its properties ai-e said to be sudorific and diuretic, and 

 it may be administered in decoction or infusion. 



Q. Polygala mucronata, Yellow -Jloivered Milk-wort. 

 Flowers beardless, racemes terminal, leaves lanceo- 



