954 POLYGALA. [CLASS XVII. ORDER If! 
ORDER Il. 
OCTAN'DRIA. Erautr StramMens. 
GENUS III. POLY'GALA.—Linn. JMilkwort. 
Nat. Ord. Potyaa'LEx. Juss. 
Gren. Cuar. Calyx of five pieces, persistent, the two inner ones 
usually larger winged and coloured. Petals three or five, 
attached by their claws to the tube of the filaments, the lower 
one keeled. Capsules compressed. Seeds downy, crested at the 
hilum.—Name from woav, much; and yaAu«, milk; so called 
from its supposed property in producing that secretion. 
1. P. vulga'ris, Linn. (Fig. 1106.) Common Milkwort. Keel 
crested ; racemes terminal, many flowered; wings of the calyx three 
nerved, about as long as the corolla; stems simple, herbaceous, 
ascending ; leaves linear lanceolate, or oblong lanceolate. 
English Botany, t. 76.—English Flora, vol. ili. p. 257—Hooker, 
British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p. 266.—Lindley, Synopsis, p. 39. 
PB. lower leaves broader. 
P. amara.—English Botany, Supp. t. 2764—Lindley, Synopsis, 
Supp. p. 320. 
Root fibrous, tough, and woody, the whole plant smooth, of a dark 
shining green. Stems mostly several from the same root, simple, 
from three to six or eight inches high, ascending, occasionally 
branched, leafy, angular. eaves scattered, those of the stem linear 
lanceolate or oblong lanceolate, the radical one broader, ovate lanceo- 
late, with a short footstalk. Inflorescence a simple terminal raceme 
of numerous flowers, of a deep or pale blue, pink or white, each on a 
short pedicle, with a small bractea, formed of three scales. Calyx of 
five unequal pieces, the three outer ones small, ovate lanceolate, 
the two inner ones large, forming wings of an ovate acute or elliptic 
ovate form, three ribbed, the outer ribs branched, with numerous 
slender veins from its outer edge, terminating in the margin. Corolla 
of three petals, about as long as the wings of the calyx, the lateral 
ones oblong, plane, the central ones keeled, its margin at the end cut 
into small fringe-like segments, forming a crest. Stamens with mem- 
branous filaments, united into a tnbe split towards the top. Style 
short. Stigma two lipped. Capsules enveloped in the persistent 
calyx, two celled, two valved, compressed, almost orbicular, notched 
at the top, and contracted into a short pointed base, the margin 
membranous. Seeds downy, the hilum crested, succulent. 
Habitat.—Dry hills and pastures; frequent. 
Perennial ; flowering in June and July. 
This pretty little plant is very variable in the colour of its flowers, 
sometimes they are an extremely deep fine blue, and they vary to a 
