PoLYGALA. POLYGALACE.E. 149 



Group 11. Character same as of tli£ following order. 



Order XXXVI. POLYGALACE.^. Juss. The Milkwort Tribe. 



Calyx of 5 distinct irregular sepals ; three of them exterior and smaller, of which 

 one is superior (next the axis of inflorescence) and two inferior ; the two lateral 

 or inner ones (icings) larger, and usually petaloid : a3stivation imbricated. 

 Petals usually 3, hypogynous, irregular, deciduous ; the anterior (keel) larger 

 than the rest, usually crested or lobed. Stamens 6-8, hypogynous : filaments 

 combined into a tube, which is split on the ujiper side, and more or less united 

 below with the claws of the petals : anthers innate, mostly 1-celled, opening 

 by a terminal pore. Ovary formed of 2 united carpels, 2-celled, with a single 

 pendulous anatropous ovule (rarely 2 ovules) in each cell : style curved and 

 often hooded. Fi-uit (usually a capsule) compressed, loculicidal, sometimes 

 indehiscent. Seeds with a crustaceous testa, usually with an arilliform caruncle. 

 Embryo straight, in copious fleshy albumen. — Herbaceous (all the North 

 American species) or shrubby ^alants, with simple entire leaves destitute of 

 stipules ; the roots bitter, and often milky. Flowers mostly in racemes or 

 spikes ; the pedicels with 1-3 bracts. 



1. POLYGALA. Tourn.; A. St. Hil. ^ Moq.-Tand. in mem. mus. 17. jo. 313; Endl. 



^en. 5647. MILKWORT. 



[ Named from the Greek, pohj, much, and gala, milk ; from its supposed power of increasing the secretion of milk.] 



Sepals persistent ; the wings large and petaloid. Petals 3, their claws cohering with the 

 stamineal tube ; the lowest one keel-shaped. Ovary 2-celled, with a single ovule in each 

 cell. Capsule compressed contrary to the very narrow dissepiment, elliptical, obovate or 

 cordate. Seeds mostly with a 2-lobed, arillate caruncle. — Racemes often spiked or capitate. 



^ 1. Spikes thick, capitate or oblong, terminal: keel crested (the crest often minute) : style mostly 

 cucullate, and dilated in the middle : filaments united nearly to the summit : caruncle with 

 a 2-lobed appendage. — Annual or biennial. 



1. PoLYGALA SANGUiNEA, LiriTi. Purple MUk-ivort. 



Spikes ovoid or oblong, compact ; wings broadly ovate or obovate ; crest minute ; seed 

 obovate, hairy ; caruncle nearly as long as the seed ; leaves linear and oblong-linear ; stem 

 fastigiately branched. — Michx. Jl. 2. p. 52 ; Pursh, fl. 2. p. 465 ; Bigel. Jl. Bost. p. 264 ; 



