(251.) 
POLY'GALA* *. 
Linnean Class and Order. Diade'lphia f, Octa'ndria. 
Natural Order. Polyga'lete, Juss . — Lindl. Syn. p. 39; Intr, 
to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 144. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 494. — Loud. 
Hort. Brit. p. 501. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. i. p. 
348. — Mack. FI. Hiber. p. 35. — Pedicula'res, Juss. Gen. PI. 
p. 99. — Sm. Gram, of Bot. p. 96. — Rosales ; subord. Rhceadosje ; 
sect. Rh.eadin.e ; type, Polygalace/e ; Burn. Outl. of Bot. pp. 
614, 784, 847, &870, — Lomenta'ce.e, Linn. 
Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1.) inferior, of 5 sepals, imbricated in 
the bud ; 3 outer ones small, nearly equal, egg-shaped, pointed, 
one of them uppermost; 2 inner ones much larger, like a pair of 
wings, coloured, veiny, egg-shaped, finally converging and fading; 
all permanent. Corolla (fig. 2.) of from 3 to 5 petals, united with 
the tube of the stamens by their claws ; limb of the uppermost 
deeply divided ; lowermost keel-shaped, (perhaps from 2 petals 
being constantly joined, Don,) generally crowned with more or 
less of a many-cleft, crested appendage (see fig. 4). Filaments 
(see fig. 3.) all united at the bottom, and attached to the corolla ; 
divided above into 2 sets, of 4 each. Anthers (see fig. 3.) 8, as- 
cending, tubular, each of 1 cell, opening at the summit. Germen 
(see fig. 5.) superior, roundish. Style (see fig. 5.) club-shaped, 
straight. Stigma (see fig. 5.) of 2 unequal lips, concave. Capsule 
(fig. 6.) elliptical, inversely egg-shaped or inversely heart-shaped, 
compressed, of 2 valves and 2 cells (see fig. 7.) the partition from 
the centre of each valve. Seeds (f. 8.) downy, crested at the hilum. 
The calyx of 5 sepals, 2 of them wing-shaped and coloured ; the 
corolla of from 3 to 5 petals combined by their claws with the 
stamens, the lower one keeled ; the capsule of 2 cells and 2 valves ; 
and the solitary, crested seeds; will distinguish this from other 
genera in the same class and order. 
Two species British. 
POLY'GALA VULGA'RIS. Common Milkwort. Procession 
Flower. Rogation Flower. Hedge Hyssop. 
Spec. Char. Leaves strap-spear-shaped, bluntish. Stems as- 
cending. Wings of the calyx elliptical, bluntish, a little longer than 
the capsule, but somewhat equal in length, or shorter than the 
corolla. Keel crested. Ovary sessile. 
Engl. Bot. t. 76. — Curt. Brit. Entomol. v. i. t. 62.— Linn. Sp. PI. p. 986.— 
Huds. FI. Angl. (3rd ed.) p. 310. — YVilld. Sp. PI. v. iii. pt. n, p. 873. — Sm. FI. 
Brit. v. ii. p 752. Engl. FI. v. iii, p. 258. —With. (7th ed.) v. iii. p. 826.— Gray’s 
Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 667. — Lindl. Syn. p. 39 — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 317.— Lightf. FI. 
Scot. v. i. p. 381. — Siblh. FI. Oxon. p. 218. — Abbot’s FI. Bedf. p. 153. — Davies’ 
Welsh Bot. p. 68.— Purt. Midi. FI. v. i. p.327; and v. iii. p. 371.— Relh. FI. 
Fig. 1. Bracteas, Pedicel, and Calyx. — Fig. 2. Corolla. — Fig. 3. Tube of the 
Corolla opened, showing the united filaments. — Fig. 4. The lower Petal or Keel, 
with the Pistil. — Fig. 5. Germen, Style, and Stigma. — Fig. 6. Capsule. — Fig. 7. 
Transverse section of ditto. — Fig. 8. A Seed. — All, except figs. 1 & 2, more or 
less magnified. • 
* From poly, Gr. much ; and gala, Gr. milk ; alluding to the reputed effects of 
the plant on cattle that feed upon it. Dox. t See folio 77, note t. 
