Polygala comosum Schkuhr, Bot. Handb. II (1796) p. 324; Ledeb. Fl. Alt. Ill, p. 247; 

 Karel. et Kiril. Enum. PI. Fl. Alt. no. 134; Turczan. Fl. Baical.-Dahur. (1842) p. 313, no. 

 201; Ledeb. Fl. Ross. I, p. 271. P. vulgaris subspec. comosa Chodat, Monogr. Polygala 

 (1893) p. 453. P. vulgaris fi comosa Herder, PI. Radd. (1861) p. 514; KpBut. $ji. Ajit. I 

 (1901) p. 131. P. hybrida Turczan. Cat. Baical. no. 212. [Tab. X, Fig. 1]. 



This exceedingly polymorphous species is abundant in the Minusinsk district, 

 where I have collected a rather rich material, which did not seem to be quite inden- 

 tical with any of the numerous forms and varieties described from Europe. My mate- 

 rial, originating form various localities in southern Siberia, however, seemed to be 

 quite homogeneous. 



The specimens brought home seemed, in various respects, to constitute distinct inter- 

 mediates to P. Nicaeense Risso. The stems are numerous, high and vigorous, to 35 cm. 

 high, ascending at the base, frequently a little lignified, finely puberulent, generally simple 

 or emitting small branches above, each of them terminating in a few-flowered raceme. 

 The lowei- leaves are comparatively short and broad, ovate-spatulate, the upper ones lan- 

 ceolate, 2—4 cm. long, and 2 — 4 mm. broad, glabrate or slightly ciliate. The stems are 

 leaved right up to the flower cluster. The raceme is flowery, densely flowered and pyra- 

 midical when young, later on somewhat prolonged and more loosely flowered, during the 

 flowering commonly 5 — 7 cm. long, later on increasing to 10 — 12 cm. in length, and con- 

 taining, on an average, 30 — 35 flowers. The pedicels are short, 1,5 — 2 mm. long, slightly 

 wing-angled. The middle bracteole is 3,5 — 4 mm. long, bluish, about twice as long as the 

 pedicel, broadly lanceolate, later on clapped together in a boat's shape. The 2 lateral brac- 

 teoles are shorter, of about the same length as the pedicel, colourless, membranous. The 

 bracteoles are caducous early in season. The flowers are very large, considerably larger 

 than in the typical plant. The 3 outer sepals are 3 — 4 mm. long, Va — }4 of the length of the 

 wings, broadly lanceolate, of a bluish green colour, and sparingly ciliate. The wings are 

 finely cihate, large, 7 — 9 mm. long, and about 5 mm. broad, ovate, obtuse or subacutish at 

 the apex, and furnished with 1 greenish, rather coarse, generally unb ranched middle 

 vein, and 2 fainter lateral veins, the ramifications of which are not reticularly connected, 

 or only slightly so. The wings are of a bluish-violet, gradually fading to greenish yellow. 

 The corolla, of a much darker colour than the wings, generally protrudes a little beyond 

 the latter. The fruit is very shortly stalked, cuneately tapering below, and cordately in- 

 cised above, narrowly winged at the margin. The present plant seemed in various respects 

 to constitute transition between Polygala comosum and Polygala Nicaeense. The rich, 

 rather densely flowered raceme, distinctly tufted when young, recalls the former, while 

 the large flowers and the shape of the wings are most suggestive of Polygala Nicaeense. 

 The above form is of rather common occurrence in the tracts about the Lower Aba- 

 kan, where I have collected it in several places on the steppes between Minusinsk and 

 Ust Abakansk, in dry, grass-grown localities, in thicket of Caragana arborescens, together 

 with plants such as Solidago Virgaurea, Fragaria viridis. Iris rulhenica, Stellaria grami- 

 nea, and the like. Flowering and with fTuits in the first half of June. 



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