230 • ORDER XV. — POLTGALACEJE. 



Order XV.— POLYGALA'CE.E. 



Sepals 5, persistent; the two lateral ones introrse, large, 

 and petaloid ; the three exterior small. Petals 3, irregular, 

 somewhat papilionaceous, the keel crested. Stamens hypogy- 

 nous, from 6 — 8, monadelphous, with the tube split on the 

 upper side. Ovary consists of two carpels, with a central pla- 

 centa, 2-ce!leJ, with a solitary ovule in each cell, pendulous. 

 Seeds anatropous, with much albumen. Embryo generally 

 straight, as long as the albumen. Herbaceous, with bitter 

 root. 



Genus I.— POLYG'ALA. Mich. 16—5. 

 (From the Greek polu, much, and gal-a^ milk.) 



Sepals 5, permanent, unequal, the two lateral ones larger, 

 colored. Petals 3, united to the tube of stamens. Fruit a 

 capsule, 2-celled, compressed, obcordate, or elliptical. Flowers 

 in racemes, approaching, in different cases, spikes or hea Is, 

 more commonly the latter. 



a. Flowers capitate or in spikes. Seeds with a 2 lobed caruncle. 



1. P. sanguin'ea, (L.) Stem branched. Leaves linear, acute, Jess 

 than an inch long. Flowers capitate or in an oblong spike. Wings 

 membranaceous, bright rose-color. Crest minute. Capsules obovate. 

 Seeds black. — Red. 0. Aug. — Sept. In dry soils, common. 4 — 6 

 inches. 



2. P. purpu'eea, (Nutt.) Stem fastigiately branched ; sometimes 

 simple, erect, angular, and slightly winged. Leaves alternate, linear- 

 lanceolate, 1 inch long. Flowers in oblong spikes. Wings broad ovate, 

 green, tinged with purple. Crest minute. Seeds hairy, with a carun- 

 cle nearly as long as the seed, nearly black. — Red. %. June. Com- 

 mon. 8 — 12 inches. 



3. P. crucia'ta, (L.) Stem erect, branching, winged. Leaves verti- 

 cillate, linear, punctate. Flowers in ovate spikes, nearly sess;le. Sta- 

 mens short. Wings dilated at the base, with a purple border. Crest 

 minute. Seed obovate, slightly hispid. — Red, with green. 0. July. 

 8 — 12 inches. 



4. P. lu'tea, (L.) Stein branched or simple. Flowers in an ovate 

 spike, nearly globular. Wings broad, lanceolate, acuminate, yellow. 

 Crest minute. Radical leaves spatulate ; the caijline ones lanceolate, 

 acute. Seeds hairy. — Yellow. %$. June — September. Common. 8— 

 12 inches. 



5. P. na'na, (D. C.) Stem simple. Leaves cuneate, obovate, obtuse; 

 sometimes with a long attenuated base. Flowers in a dense cylindrical 

 spike, nearly sessile. Wings ovate, acuminate, with a setaceous point, 

 yellowish-green. Crest large. Seed obovate, a little hairy. — Yellow- 

 ish-green. 0. June—Sept. Pine woods. 1 — 6 inches. 



