Flora of North America species comparison

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Asemeia grandiflora

showy milkwort
Habit Herbs (0.8–)2–5.5(–10) dm.
Stems

glabrous or hairs appressed or spreading.
Leaves

petiole 1–4 mm;

blade oblanceolate, linear-oblanceolate, elliptic, lanceolate, narrowly ovate, or linear, (6–)15–50(–64) × (0.3–)2–17 mm, base acute, apex acute, surfaces usually pubescent, at least on veins abaxially.
Racemes

usually loose, rarely very open, 5–10(–20) × 1–2.5 cm;

peduncle 0.3–1.7 cm;

bracts ovate to lanceolate.
Pedicels

(1–)2–4 mm, usually pubescent, sometimes glabrous.
Flowers

sepals (1–)1.3–3.1 mm;

wings orbiculate to reniform or obovate, often somewhat 4-angled, 2–6.8 mm wide;

keel 2–5(–7) mm.
Capsules

ellipsoid, oblong, or ovoid, 3–5.3 × 2–3 mm.
Seeds

1.1–2.5 mm;

aril 1 mm, lobes helmetlike, to 1/4 length of seed.
2n

= 28.

Asemeia grandiflora
Phenology Flowering spring–summer (year-round).
Habitat Open dry, sandy habitats, open pine and oak associations, dunes, roadsides, savannas, prairies.
Elevation 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; Central America; Mexico (Chiapas); West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Asemeia grandiflora is highly polymorphic, with numerous historically recognized segregate species or infraspecific taxa (C. E. Nauman 1981b; J. K. Small 1933). However, the characters artificially selected for differentiating the taxa, such as pubescence, presence of glandular trichomes, relative length of capsules and wing sepals, wing sepal coloration and shape, capsule shape, keel length, and leaf width, are polymorphic features without consistent geographical structure. Other features, such as being more strongly perennial (multi-branched and suffrutescent) farther south and more clearly herbaceous or, perhaps, even annual farther north, are clearly correlated with climate and not necessarily indicative of taxonomic distinctiveness. This situation is further complicated by the species being part of the even more widespread complex of Asemeia violacea (Aublet) J. F. B. Pastore & J. R. Abbott as circumscribed by M. C. M. Marques. More work is needed to determine whether A. grandiflora should be treated as conspecific with A. violacea, as many other related entities are still recognized and no phylogenetic or populational data have been presented to show that this entity is unworthy of recognition.

Asemeia grandiflora is the only species of Polygalaceae in eastern North America with an entire keel (lacks a beak or crest).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 10.
Parent taxa Polygalaceae > Asemeia
Synonyms Polygalagrandiflora walter, A. cumulicola, A. leiodes, A. miamiensis, P. corallicola, P. cumulicola, P. grandiflora var. angustifolia, P. grandiflora var. leiodes, P. miamiensis
Name authority (Walter) Small: Man. S.E. Fl., 766. (1933)
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Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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