120 POLYGALACE^E. (MILKWORT FAMILY.) 



ORDER 31. POLYGAlACE^E. (MILKWORT FAMILY.) 



Plants with irregular hypogynous flowers, 4-8 diadelphous or monadel- 

 phous stamens, their l-celled anthers opening at the top by a pore or chink' ; 

 the fruit a 2-celled and 2-seeded pod. 



1. POLYGALA, Tourn. MILKWORT. 



Flower very irregular. Calyx persistent, of 5 sepals, of which 3 (the upper 

 and the 2 lower) are small and often greenish, while the two lateral or inner 

 (called wmys) are much larger, and colored like the petals. Petals 3, hypogy- 

 nous, connected with each other and with the stamen-tube, the middle (lower) 

 one keel-shaped and often crested on the back. Stamens 6 or 8 ; their fila- 

 ments united below into a split sheath, or into 2 sets, cohering more or less 

 with the petals, free above ; anthers 1 -celled, often cup-shaped, opening by a 

 hole or broad chink at the apex. Ovary 2-celled, with a single anatropous 

 ovule pendulous in each cell ; style prolonged and curved ; stigma various. 

 Fruit a small, loculicidal 2-seeded pod, usually rounded and notched at the 

 apex, much flattened contrary to the very narrow partition. Seeds caruncu- 

 late. Embryo large, straight, with flat and broad cotyledons, in scanty albu 

 men. Bitter plants (low herbs in temperate regions), with simple entire often 

 dotted leaves, and no stipules ; sometimes (as in the first two species) bearing 

 cleistogamous flowers next the ground. (An old name composed of TTO\VS, 

 much t and yd\a, milk, from a fancied property of its increasing this secretion.) 



* Perennial or biennial ; flowers purple or white ; leaves alternate. 



- Flowers showy, rose-purple, conspicuously crested ; also bearing inconspicuous 



colorless clehtogamous flowers on subterranean branches. 



1. P. paucifblia, Willd. Perennial ; flowering stems short (3-4' high), 

 from long slender prostrate or subterranean shoots, which also bear concealed 

 fertile flowers ; lower leaves small and scale-like, scattered, the upper ovate, 

 petioled, crowded at the summit ; flowers 1-3, large, peduncled ; wings obovate, 

 rather shorter than the fringe-crested keel ; stamens 6 ; caruncle of 2 or 3 awl- 

 shaped lobes longer than the seed. Woods, in light soil, N. Eng. -to Minn., 

 111., and southward along the Alleghanies. May. A delicate plant, with 

 very handsome flowers, 9" long, rose-purple, or rarely pure white. Sometimes 

 called Flowering Wintergreen, but more appropriately FRINGED POLYGALA. 



2. P. pol^gama, Walt. Stems numerous from the biennial root, mostly 

 simple, ascending, very leafy (6 - 9' high) ; leaves oblanceolate or oblong ; 

 terminal raceme loosely many-flowered, the broadly obovate wings longer than 

 the keel ; stamens 8 ; radical flowers racemed on short subterranean runners ; 

 lobes of the caruncle 2, scale-like, shorter than the seed. Dry sandy soil; 

 common. July. 



-- -i- Flowers white, in a solitary close spike ; none cleistogamous. 



3. P. Senega, L. (SENECA SNAKEROOT.) Stems several from thick 

 and hard knotty rootstocks, simple (6-12' high) ; leaves lanceolate or oblong- 

 lanceolate, with rough margins ; wings round-obovate, concave ; crest short ; 

 caruncle nearly as long as the seed. Rocky soil, W. New Eng. to Minn., and 

 southward. May, June. 



