ORANGE POLYGALA 



Poly gala lutea Linnaeus 



At many places in the Southeastern States the brilliant heads of 

 the orange poly gala stand out in bold relief from the background of 

 grasses and weeds that surround them. The pine-barren swamps are 

 its chosen habitat, and here it may be found in blossom most of the 

 summer. Most of the North American plants belonging to the Poly- 

 gala Family have inconspicuous flowers, often dull in color, but the 

 flowers of this species are very showy. The roots of the plant, like 

 those of many other species of Polygalaj contain the chemical sub- 

 stance commonly known as "oil of wintergreen," which can be rec- 

 ognized by its odor and taste. As this same flavoring substance is used 

 in candy, the country people throughout the South know the species 

 of Poly gal a as "candy weed" or "candy root," and chew the roots as a 

 cure for coughs and colds. The medicinal value of this species is 

 slight, although extracts of the roots of other members of the genus 

 are used extensively in cough remedies. 



Orange poly gala ranges from Florida and Louisiana northward to 

 New Jersey and Long Island. 



The sketch was made from flowers collected near Beaufort, South 

 Carolina. 



PLATE 2.57 



