POLYGALAUE^. 43 



3. P. purpurea Nutt..: stem fastigiately branched ; leaves alternate, linear 

 ? nd oblong-linear ; flowers beardless, imbricated in obtuse cylindrical spikes 5 

 racliis squarrose ; wings of the calyx cordate-ovate, erect, twice as long as 

 the capsule. P. sanguitiea Mich. Pitrsh. 



Woods and hill sides. Mass. to Louis. W. to Ark. July, Aug. (p. — Stem 

 12 — 18 inches high. Flowers rose-colored. Purple Milkwort. 



4. P. sanguiiiea Linn. : stem fastigiately branched ; leaves alternate, 

 narrow-linear ; flowers beardless, in long and crowded spikes ; rachis squar- 

 rose ; wings of the calyx obovate, as long as the capsule. 



Dry soils. N. J. to Geor. W. to Ken. July— Oct. (^.—Stem 8—12 inches 

 high. Flowers dark red. Allied to the former, but a much smaller plant, the 

 leaves shorter and narrower, and with a longer and more loose spike ; the racliis 

 also is much more squarrose. Red Milkwort. 



5. P. amblgua Nutt. : stem erect, virgately branched ; leaves Hnear ; 

 the lower ones sometimes whorled, the rest scattered ; spikes rather ob- 

 tuse, dense, on very long pedurftles ; flowers cristate ; wings of the calyx 

 round and veined, as long as the fruit ; bracts deciduous. 



Dry Woods. N. Y. to Virg. Aug. Sept. (X).—Stem 6—12 inches high, slen- 

 der, somewhat angular. Flowers greenish- wliite, tinged with purple, distincdy 

 pedicellate, larger than those of the next species. Ambiguous Milkwort. 



6. P. verticillata Linn. : stem erect, branched ; leaves whorled, linear, 

 and lance-linear ; racemes spikecf, acute, on rather short peduncles ; bracts 

 deciduous ; flowers cristate ; wings of the calyx roundish, shorter than the 

 capsule. 



Sandy soils. Can. to Flor. W. to Miss. July— Oct. ®. — Stem 8 — 12 inches 

 high, slender, slightly angled. Leaves sometimes solitary, but mostly in whorls 

 of 4 or 5. Flowers small, greenish- white, sometimes tinged with purple. 



Whorl-leaved Milkwort. 



7. P. Seiuga Linn.: stems numerous, erect, smooth, simple; leaves al- 

 ternate, lanceolate, tapering at each end, scabrous on the margin ; spikes 

 rather dense, somewhat acute; wings of the calyx orbicular; capsule ellip- 

 tic, emarginate. 



Woods. Can. to Geor. June, July. '1\.. — Stem a foot high, with ovate, 

 tcale-like leaves at the base. Leaves smooth, finely serrulate and fringed under 

 a lens. Flowers greenish-white, in a terminal spike, which is 1 — ^2 inches long. 

 The root is hard, firm and branching, and is much used in medicine. Big. Med. 

 Bot. ii. 97. Seneca Snake-root. 



8. P. polygama Walt. : stems numerous, simple, erect and procumbent ; 

 leaves Hnear-lanceolate, attenuate downwards ; racemes fihform, terminal 

 and lateral, elongated ; lower ones procumbent, without petals ; flowers 

 sessile, P. rubella Willd. Pursh. 



Forests. Can. to Flor. June, July. ^.—Stem 4 — 8 inches high, angular. 

 Terminal racemes 10 — ^25-flowered ; pedicels slender. Flowers purple, at length 

 pendulous. The whole plant is bitter and is used in medicine. Big. Med. Bot. 

 in. 129. Bitter Milkwort. 



** Flowers capitate, {jjellow.') 



9. P. lutea Linn. : stem simple or branched ; lower leaves spatulate ; 

 upper ones lanceolate ; flowers in globular heads, yellow ; wings of the 

 calyx ovate, mucronate ; bracts shorter than the flowers. 



TJogs, in pine barrens. N. J. to Flor. June — Oct. (^. — Stem 8 — 12 inches 



