134 ELEMENTS OF BOTANY. 



acuminate at tlie apex, rounded at the base, irregularly serrate, 

 glabrous; flowers in large, compound panicles, fragrant, lilac-colored; 

 sepals linear-spatulate, united at the base ; petals united below, spread- 

 ing above; fruit fleshy, enclosing a bony 5-celled nut with one seed 

 in each cell, persistent through the winter. April-May. Intro- 

 duced from China ; common in cultivation. 



67. POLYGALACE^. MILKWORT FAMILY. 



Herbs, or rarely shrubs ; leaves simple, alternate, opposite 

 or verticillate, exstipiilate ; pedicels bracted ; flowers mostly 

 in spikes or racemes, but sometimes solitary, with a general 

 resemblance to those of the Pea family ; sepals 5, persistent, 

 the two lateral longer and wing-like ; petals 3, somewhat 

 united, the middle one longer, usually crested and forming a 

 keel, sometimes with 2 additional scale-like petals ; stamens 

 4-8, monadelphous or diadelphous ; ovary superior, com- 

 pound; fruit a 2-seeded capsule, seeds usually carunculate 

 and hairy. 



POLYGALA. 



Annual, biennial or perennial herbs ; leaves alternate, 

 opposite or verticillate, usually small and narrow ; flowers 

 usually spiked or racemed, but sometimes solitary, and occa- 

 sionally on subterranean branches ; stamens 8 or sometimes 

 6, somewhat united with the petals, usually monadelphous ; 

 style simple, curved, club-shaped ; capsule 2-celled, 2-seeded, 

 seeds carunculate and hairy. 



1. P. RAMOSA Ell. Low Yellow Milkwort. Biennial ; stems 

 single or tufted, erect, simple, 6-12 in. high; leaves alternate, basal 

 leaves spatulate to obovate, obtuse; stem leaves linear-oblong, acute, 

 numerous, somewhat fleshy; flowers bright yellow, in corymbose 

 spikes, wings oblong, acute, crest minute; seeds small, oval, hairy, 

 at least twice the length of the caruncle; plant turning greenish- 

 black in drying. June-September. Open pine barrens. 



2. P. LUTEA L. Orange Milkwort. Biennial; stem simple 

 or occasionally branched, erect, glabrous, 6-12 in. high; leaves alter- 

 nate, root leaves spatulate, obtuse, stem leaves oblanceolate, acute ; 

 spikes solitary, terminal, oblong, dense ; flowers orange-yellow, wings 



