POLYGALACE.E. (MILKWOBT FAMILY.) 89 



1. POLYGALA, L. MILKWOKT. 



Sepals 5, persistent, unequal ; the two lateral ones (wings) larger and petal- 

 like. Petals 3, more or less united ; the middle one (keel) larger, and usually 

 crested at the apex. Stamens 8, rarely 6, united into a tube, or into two equal 

 sets, and also with the claws of the petals. Style curved, clavate. Stigma 

 terminal or lateral. Capsule 2-celled, 2-seeded. Seeds suspended, caruncu- 

 late. Chiefly herbs. Leaves alternate or whorled. Flowers in terminal 

 spikes or racemes, rarely axillary, or radical aud incomplete. 



1. Flowers in globose or oUmnj more or less compact spikes. 

 Spikes corymbose: biennials. 



1 . P. cymosa, Walt. Stem tall, simple ; leaves scattered, linear, acute, 

 the upper bract like, the lowest long (6' -9') aud crowded; corymbs simple 

 or compound ; wings oblong, abruptly acute ; seeds miuute, globose-obovate, 

 smooth; caruncle none. Tine barren ponds. July. Stems 2 -4 high. 

 Flowers yellow. 



2. P. ramosa, Ell. Stem low, simple, or branching and leafy from the 

 base to the summit ; leaves fleshy, lanceolate, acute, scattered, the lowest spatu- 

 late-obovate, obtuse, crowded; corymbs compound, fastigiate; wings ovate- 

 lanceolate, acuminate ; lobes of the caruncle small, roundish, embracing the 

 base of the minute oval hairy seed. Low open pine barrens. July -Sept. 



Stems 6'- 12' high. Flowers yellow. 



3. P. Baldwinii, Xutt. Stem angled, simple ; leaves lanceolate, acute, 

 the lowest spatulate ; corymbs compound ; spikes dense ; wings ovate-lance- 

 olate, tapering into a long and slender point ; seeds very small, globose, hairy ; 

 caruncle minute. Low pine barrens near the coast, Georgia, and westward. 

 July -August. Stem 1-1^ high. Leaves V-Y long. Flowers white, 

 fragrant. 



* * Spikes solitary : leaves alternate. 



t- Flowers yellow: biennials. 



4. P. lutea, L. (YELLOW BACHELOR'S-BUTTON.) Stem simple or with 

 spreading branches ; leaves lanceolate, acute, the lowest clustered, spatulate- 

 obovate, obtuse ; spikes dense, globose or oblong; wings elliptical, abruptly 

 pointed ; lobes of the caruncle nearly as long as the obovate sparse-hairy seed. 



Low pine barrens. June - August. Stem 6' - 12' high. Flowers orange- 

 yellow. 



5. P. nana, DC. Low ; stems divided at the base into several short 

 peduncle-like branches : leaves chiefly radical, clustered, spatulate or linear, 

 obtuse ; spikes thick, at length cylindrical, the earliest ones sessile ; wings 

 ovate-lanceolate, acuminate ; lobes of the caruncle half as long as the obovate 

 hairy seed. Low sandy pine barrens, flowering throughout the year. 

 Stems 2' - 4' high. Spikes 1' - 2' long. 



6- P. Rugelii, Shuttlw. Stem mostly branching; leaves alternate, 

 lanceolate, acute, sessile, the lowest ones clustered and narrowed into a peti- 

 ole ; spikes globose; wings oblong- obovate, cuspidate; seeds and caruncle 

 as in No. 4. Flat pine barrens, East Florida. May - August. Stem l-2 

 high. 



