Genus i. 



MILKWORT FAMILY. 



447 



Leaves lanceolate, i'-2' long; tlowers white or greenish. 13. P. Senega. 



Spikes elongated-conic; flowers white. 14. P. alba. 



*** Flowers distinctly racemose, rose or purple. 15. P. polygama. 



**** Flowers 1-4, large, axillary, but apparently terminal, rose-purple to white. 



16. P. paucifolia. 



I. Polygala cymosa Walt. Tall Pine- 

 barren Milkwort. Fig. 2695. 



Polygala cymosa Walt. FI. Car. 179. 1788. 



P. acutifolia T. & G. FI. N. A. i : 128. 1838. 



Annual or biennial ; stem erect, glabrous, 

 2°-3° high, simple, slightly angular; roots 

 fibrous. Basal leaves elongated-linear, atten- 

 uate at the apex, 2'-$' long, 2"-3" wide, entire, 

 densely tufted; stem-leaves linear-subulate, 

 bract-like, 5"-8" long ; inflorescence a simple 

 or compound cluster of spike-like racemes ; 

 pedicels i"-2" long; bracts persistent; flowers 

 yellow, drying greenish black; seed globose, 

 minute, nearly glabrous ; caruncle none. 



In wet pine barrens, Delaware to Florida, west 

 to Louisiana. May-July. 



2. Polygala ramosa Ell. Low Pine-barren 

 Milkwort. Fig. 2696. 



P. corymbosa Nutt. Gen. 2 : 89. 181 8. Not Michx. 



1803. 

 Polygala ramosa Ell. Bot. S. C. & Ga. 2: 186. 1822. 



Annual or biennial, glabrous; stems tufted or 

 single from fibrous roots, 6'-i6' high, simple. 

 Stem-leaves linear-oblong, obtuse, 6"-io" long, 

 i"-2" wide ; basal leaves much broader and often 

 larger, spatulate or obovate ; inflorescence a term- 

 inal compound corymb, 3'-6' broad, of numerous 

 peduncled spike-like racemes ; flowers citron- 

 yellow, I2" long, drying dark green ; pedicels l" 

 long or less ; wings oblong, acuminate ; crest 

 minute ; seed ovoid, hairy, twice to thrice the 

 length of the caruncle. 



In low pine barrens, Delaware to Florida, west to 

 Louisiana. June-Sept. 



3. Polygala liitea L. Orange or Yellow Milkwort. 

 Wild Bachelor's Button. Fig. 2697. 



Polygala lutea L. Sp. PI. 705. 1753. 



Annual, glabrous; stems tufted from fibrous roots, erect or 

 ascending, or at length divaricately branched, 6'-i2' high. 

 Stem-leaves oblong-lanceolate, acute or obtuse, 8"-i5" long, 

 2"-4" wide, entire; basal leaves broader and often larger, 

 obovate or spatulate, obtuse ; spike-like racemes terminal, 

 solitary, ovoid or oblong, very dense, i'-ii' long, 6"-9" thick, 

 obtuse ; flowers 2"-3" long, orange-yellow, preserving their 

 color in drying; pedicels i"-2" long; wings oblong-ovate, 

 abruptly acuminate ; crest of the corolla-tube minute ; carun- 

 cle-lobes linear, about equalling the hairy seed, or shorter. 



In pine-barren swamps, Long Island to New Jersey, eastern 

 Pennsylvania, Florida, west to Louisiana. June-Oct. 



