POLYGALACE^E. 43 



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

 and oblong-linear ; flowers beardless, imbricated in obtuse cylindrical spikes ; 

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

 the capsule. P. sanguined Mich. Pursh. 



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. sanguinea 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 812 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 rachis 

 also is much more squarrose. Red Milkwor!. 



5. P. ambigua Null. : stem erect, virgately branched ; leaves linear ; 

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

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

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



Dry Woods. N.Y.toVirg. Aug. Sept. .Stem 6 12 inches high, slen- 

 der, somewhat angular. Flowers greenish-white, tinged with purple, distinctly 

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



G. P. verticittata Linn. : stem erect, branched ; leaves whorled, linear, 

 and lance-linear ; racemes spiked, 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. (J). . 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-leavtd Milkwort. 



7. P. Senega 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. 'ZJ-. Stem a foot high, with ovate, 

 scale-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 usedln medicine. Big. Med. 

 Bot. ii. 97. Seneca Snake-root. 



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

 leaves linear-lanceolate, attenuate downwards ; racemes filiform, terminal 

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

 sessile. P. rubella Willd. Pursh. 



Forests. Can. to Flor. June, July. (g). 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. 

 iii. 129. Bitter MiVcwort. 



** Flowers capitate, (yellow.) 



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. 



3, in pine barrens. N. J. to Flor. June Oct. .-Stem 812 inches 



