THE MILKWORT FAMILY. 297 



LARGE FLOWERED HILKWORT. {J'/afc XCJJ.) 



Polygala gymidijlb) a. 



Flcnvcrs : large; irregular, scattered in long, slender racemes. Sepals: five, 

 three of which are green, minute and pointed, the lateral ones being large, obovatc- 

 cuneate and appearing like wings. Fc-tab : three, alternating witn the sepals, the 

 lower one or keel, concave, not bearded. Leaves: small, alternate, with shijrt, 

 downy petioles, linear, oblong or lanceolate, tapering at both ends; entire; 

 bright green. Stem: erect; about twelve inches high; branched, leafy, pubes- 

 cent. 



Most cheerfully we greet this beatitiful one of the polygalas, with its deli- 

 cate personality cjuite different from that of the bachelor's-button, or the 

 others which have been mentioned. It seems to us more, perhaps, as 

 though its associate should be the small green wood orchid, Ilabenaria 

 clavellata, to find which we push aside the undergrowth and search by the 

 stream's side. That it and the two species that follow produce their flowers 

 in racemes giv'es them in any case a better chance to show their beauty than 

 those have which are closely packed in spikes. The generic name of this 

 interesting family of ancient Greek origin means " much milk " and was 

 deemed appropriate because cows, through eating the plants, were supposed 

 to give an extra quantity of the fluid. 



P. polygdma, racemed milkwort, blooms in early May and is rather a low, 

 glabrous and leafy plant,showing a terminal raceme of delicate rose or purple 

 tinted flowers. Shooting from the base also are cleistogamous ones, those 

 imperfect but fertile blossoms well disposed to do their duty. 



P. paticifbiia, fringed polygala, gay-wings or flowering wintcrgrecn. is 

 undoubtedly lovely ; its flowers being comparatively large, about three 

 quarters of an inch long, brilliantly rose-purple with a crested and exquisitely 

 fringed corolla and growing in the a.xils of large, ovate leaves produced near 

 their stem's summit. Those leaves, however, which occur on the stem are 

 small and bract-like. As the preceding species this plant also is one wliich 

 bears cleistogamous flowers. From April imtil July it blooms through its 

 extended range and has in certain parts of South Carolina the honour to 

 grow with Shortia under the rhododendrons' shade. 



