POLYGALA 



POLYGON AT UM 



1391 



branched shrub, 3-8 ft. high, with large, showy tts. near 

 the ends of the branches: Ivs. flat, variable in shape, 

 but not subulate: lateral petals 2-lobed, the posterior 

 lobe ear-shaped, reflexed. S. Africa. Var. grandiflora, 

 Hook. (P. grandiflora, Hort. and L.B.C. 13:1227, not 



1375. Polygala paucifolia. Natural size. 



Walt.). Fls. over 1 in. long. B.M. 3616. B.R. 8:669. 

 P. Dalmaisiana, which is very like this, is discussed 

 above. 



virgata, Thunb. Glabrous shrub, 2-5 or even 15 ft. 

 high, with rod- like branches terminating in many-fld., 

 leafless racemes of purple or flesh-colored fls.: anterior 

 sepals distinct: wings obtuse. S. Afr. The typical 

 form is advertised in S. Calif., but in Eu. probably the 

 only form cult, is var. speciosa, Harv. (P. specidsa, 

 Sims). Glabrous: lower Ivs. obovate or cuneate, upper 

 more linear, all obtuse: raceme long and lax: bracts 

 soon deciduous. S. Afr. B.M. 1780. L.B.C. 7:621. 

 B.R. 2:150. B. 1:43. 



apopetala, T. S. Brandegee. Frutescent, 2-3 ft. 

 high: branches slender, pubescent: Ivs. lanceolate, en- 

 tire, obtuse, alternate, remote, short-petioled, nearly 

 glabrous: fls. large, pink, on slender pedicels % in. or 

 more long; sepals 4, the upper and lower small, equal, 

 cymbiform, margins ciliate, the lateral very large, 

 nearly orbicular; petals 5, separate, upper strap-shaped, 

 two-thirds as long as keel, lateral pointed, less than one- 

 half as long, embraced with the 8 stamens by the large 

 cymbiform keel, which is opened on the upper and 

 lower edge and not cristate, or appendaged: seeds 2, 

 large, 'ovoid, pubescent. Lower Calif. 



amatymbica, Eckl. & Zeyn. (P. acuminata, E. Mey. 

 & Hort. (?), not Willd.). Densely tufted, erect, 3-6 

 in. high: Ivs. lanceolate acuminate, pungently mucro- 

 nate: racemes lateral, few-fld., spreading or reflexed: 

 fls. small, wings green, keel and petals flesh color to 

 purple; keel with a many-parted crest. S. Afr. P. 

 acuminata of the trade is probably not P. acuminata, 

 Willd., which is Badiera acuminata. Badiera differs 

 from Polygala in having 2 of the sepals only a little 

 larger than the others, instead of much larger. \^ ]yj t 



POLYGON ATUM (Gree\s.,many-jointed; probably re- 

 ferring to the stem). Liliacew. SOLOMON'S SEAL. About 

 20 species of hardy herbaceous perennials of graceful 

 habit, their unbranched arching stems bearing pen- 

 dulous, tubular greenish fls., which are succeeded by 

 handsome dark blue berries. The name Solomon's Seal 

 is connected with the horizontal rootstocks which are 

 scarred by the death of the annual stems, each scar 



88 



being likened to seal (see Smilacina). The stems are 

 leafy above, the Ivs. ovate or lanceolate, alternate, 

 opposite or whorled: fls. greenish or pinkish, 1-10 in the 

 axils. The genus is distinguished from its nearest allies 

 by the cylindrical perianth-tube with short lobes and 

 small undivided style. The species are natives 

 of the north temperate zone. 



Polygonatums are best suited for partially or 

 wholly shaded positions, though they do well in 

 the open in a well-prepared border. They 

 like a deep, rich soil not subject to drought. 

 Easily prop, by division. They are among the 

 best subjects for wild gardening. P. multi- 

 flortim is used abroad considerably for forc- 

 ing and for house plants. Our native species 

 are presumably equally desirable for all pur- 

 poses. The Solomon's Seal of English literature 

 is P. multiftorum, which is probably the com- 

 monest species native to Europe. There are sev- 

 eral Himalayan and Japanese species. The com- 

 mon Solomon's Seal of our nurseries is the 

 European, P. Mttitf/ZonMft, the American kinds 

 being listed only by specialists in native plants. 

 The others here described are offered by Dutch 

 bulb-growers. For extended articles on the forc- 

 ing of P. multiflorum, see Gn. 26, p. 236 (or V. 

 7:337) ; 30, p. 49, and F.R. 3:594. 



A. Lvs. all whorled. 



verticillatum, All. Stem 2-3 ft. high : Ivs. in 

 whorls of 48, linear, 3-6 in. long: fls. in 2's or 

 3's. Eu., Himalayas. P. macrophyllum, Link., 

 is perhaps a distinct var. with more robust 

 habit and larger Ivs. 



AA. Lvs. alternate. 

 B. Perianth 2-3 lines thick. 

 C. Height 1-1Y* ft.: fls. 1 or 2 in the axils. 

 officinale, All. Lvs. oblong, 2-3 in. long, firmer than 

 those of P. multiflorum: perianth-segments greenish. 

 Eu., Siberia. P. ambiguum, Link., is offered as a dis- 

 tinct form by Krelage. 



CO. Height 2-4 ft.: fls. 1-5 in the axils. 



latifdlium, Desf. (P. Thunbergi, C. Morr.). Lvs. ob- 

 long, 3-6 in. long : perianth-segment greenish. Eu., 

 Asia. Intermediate in habit between P. officinale and 

 multiflorum but with earlier fls. 



BB. Perianth l%-2 lines thick. 



c. Plant glabrous. 

 D. Filaments densely pilose. 



multifldrum, All. Fig. 1876. Height 2-3 ft.: Ivs. ob- 

 long, 3-6 in. long : perianth-tube white ; segments 

 greenish. Eu., N. Asia, Himalayas. Gn. 26, p. 236; 30, 

 p. 49. V. 7:337. Var. fibre rdseo, Hort., has rosy 

 fls. There are said to be varieties with double fls. 



1876. A colony of Solomon's Seal in a wild garden 

 Polygonatum multiflorum. 



and variegated foliage. The type seems to be more 

 graceful than the varieties. This is the common Solo- 

 mon's Seal of Europe, where it is also called Lady's 

 Seal and David's Harp. 



