Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 191 

 MILKWORT FAMILY (Polygalaceae). 



This is a small family of herbs with opposite leaves 

 and perfect but irregular flowers. 



FRINGED POLYGALA (Polygala paucifolia) is a 

 dainty and low perennial, usually rising but four or 

 five inches from the ground; the stem bends sharply 

 as it enters the soil and continues into a long, slend- 

 er rootstalk often a foot in length. A few broad, 

 ovate, pointed, shining, bright green leaves are crowd- 

 ed along the stem near its top and one or two tiny 

 ones, resembling scales, clasp the stem lower down. 

 Either one or two flowers are at the summit of the 

 stem; they are quite large, being nearly an inch in 

 lengthy the two lateral sepals are large and wing- 

 shaped (one of the common local names for this spe- 

 cies is "Bird-on-the-Wing" because of the fancied re- 

 semblance to a bird in flight) ; the three petals are 

 joined together to form a tube, through which the 

 yellow stamens and pistil protrude; the two spread- 

 ing sepals are crimson pink and the petals are light- 

 er or white, the lower one being fringed or bearded. 

 This Polygala is common in damp, rich woods from 

 N. S. to Manitoba and southwards to the Gulf, flower- 

 ing during May and June. It is largely dependent up- 

 on the honeybee for fertilization. 



MILKWORT (Polygata polygama) is a slender-stem- 

 med species from five to fifteen inches high; the stem 

 is closely crowded, alternately, with narrow, oval, 

 pointed, stemless leaves. The dull crimson flowers 

 are borne in long, slender racemes at the top of the 

 stem. Many, usually simple, stems grow from the 

 biennial root; sometimes they have a single branch 

 near the top. It also bears cleistogamous flowers on 

 subterranean shoots; it is from these that it gets its 

 specific name of polygama. It is quite common every- 

 where in dry sandy soil. 



