62i POLYGALE^, [Poltgaia. 



There are about 250 species, widely distrilDuted over the greater part of 

 the world. In England they are known nnder the name of "Milkwort.'* 

 Wings petaloid. 

 Perennial , racemes dense-flowered, atro- 

 phiole 2-lohed 1. P. crotalarioides* 



Annual, racemes few-flowered, strophiole 

 without appendages 2. P. erioptera. 



"Wings herbaceous, strophiole 3-lobed. 



A.nnual ; bracts persistent, capsule ciliate . 3. P. chinensis. 



Perennial ; bracts caducous. 



Stems prostrate,'"capsule glabrous . . 4. P. telejphioides. 



Stems erect, capsule strongly ciliate . 5. P. glomerata, 



1. P. crotalarioides, Buch.-Uam. ex. DC. Prod, i, 327 ; Royle III. 76, t« 

 19 C. ; F. B. I. i, 202 ; Watt E. D. 



A small erect perennial herb. Stems 4-S in., villous with spreading 

 hairs. Leaves 1-2 in. long, shortly stalked, elliptic or oblong-obovate, 

 apex rounded or mucronate, ciliate. Racemes short, dense-flowered, rarely 

 terminal. Flowers ^| in. long, very shortly pediceiled, reddish-purple. 

 Bracts minute, subulate, persistent. Wings petaloid, obovate, twice as 

 long as the capsule. Capside broader than long, notched, strongly 

 ciliate. Seeds hairy. Strophiole with 2 small ovate appendages, 



Debra Dun, Eohilkhand, N. Oudh, Qorakhpur. Dist&ib. : Himalaya 

 from Chamba to Sikkim, np to 7,000ft. ; also on the Khasia Hills. Royle 

 states that this plant is employed on the Himalaya as a cure for snake- 

 bite in the same manner as P. Senega is in America. 



2. P.erioptera, VC. Prod. i. 326; F. B. I. i. 203. P. Vahliana, DC; 

 W. ^ A. Prod. 36; D. Sf G. Bomh. Fl. 13. P. noucherensis, Canib. in 

 jacquem. Voy. Bot.24, t. 26. 



An ereot or decumbent annual, very variable in habit. Leaves ^-1 in. 

 long, from obovate or almost obcordate to narrow-linear. Racemes few- 

 flowered, axillary or extra-axillary. Flowers ^-5 in., on slender pedicels, 

 yellow. Bracts minute, persistent. Wings petaloid, obliquely oblong, 

 with a strong green midrib, membranous in fruit, longer than the 

 ovate notched pubescent capsule. Seeds densely hairy. Strophiole 

 without appendages. 



Eocky and waste ground in Merwara, Bundelkhand and Gwalior ; also 

 in the Jumna and Chambal ravines in the Efcawah, Agra and Delhi 

 districts. Distbib. : Plains of Punjab and Sindh, ChOta Nagpur, 

 C. and S. India, and Burma ; extending to Arabia and Africa. 



3. P. chinensis, Linn. Sp. PI. 704 ; F. B. I. i, 204 ; Watt M, D- 

 P. arvensis, Willd. ; Boxh. Fl. Ind. Hi. 218; W. Sc A. Prod. 36; D. &■ G. 

 Bomb. Fl. 12. P. Eothiana, W. Sf A. Prod. 37 ; D.SfQ.l c. 13. 



A leafy rather stout annual, erect or diffuse, but very variable. 

 Stems usually procumbent, 3-10 in. long, glabrous or pubescent. Leaves 



