Flora of North America species comparison

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Polygala appendiculata

swamp milkwort
Habit Herbs annual, single-stemmed, (1–)2–5(–6) dm, branched distally; from taproot, usually quickly becoming fibrous root cluster.
Stems

erect, glabrous.
Leaves

alternate;

sessile or subsessile;

blade linear to subfiliform, 8–25 × 0.5–1 mm, base obtuse to cuneate, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous.
Racemes

cylindric, 1.5–13 × 0.5–0.6 cm;

peduncle 0.5–1 cm;

bracts deciduous, narrowly lanceolate-ovate.
Pedicels

0.8–1 mm, glabrous.
Flowers

usually purplish pink or lavender-pink, rarely white, 1.6–2.2 mm;

sepals ovate to narrowly lanceolate-ovate, 0.6–1 mm;

wings obovate or elliptic, 1.5–2 × 0.8–1 mm, apex obtuse to bluntly rounded;

keel 1.5–2 mm, crest 2-parted, with 2–3 lobes on each side.
Capsules

oblong to ellipsoid, 1.4–2 × 0.7–1.1 mm, margins not winged.
Seeds

1–1.2 mm, pubescent;

aril 0.1(–0.2) mm, lobes less than 1/8 length of seed.

Polygala appendiculata
Phenology Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat Savannas, pastures, bogs, open pine woods, pond margins.
Elevation 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; LA; MS; TX; Central America; South America; Mexico (Campeche, México, Michoacán, Tabasco, Veracruz); West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Polygala appendiculata is part of a widespread complex in Latin America, potentially representing more than one evolutionary lineage. Even if found to be a single lineage, it is one with a complicated nomenclatural history (J. F. B. Pastore 2013).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 10.
Parent taxa Polygalaceae > Polygala
Sibling taxa
P. alba, P. balduinii, P. boykinii, P. brevifolia, P. chapmanii, P. crenata, P. cruciata, P. curtissii, P. cymosa, P. glochidata, P. hemipterocarpa, P. hookeri, P. incarnata, P. leptostachys, P. lewtonii, P. lutea, P. mariana, P. nana, P. nuttallii, P. polygama, P. ramosa, P. rugelii, P. sanguinea, P. scoparioides, P. senega, P. setacea, P. smallii, P. verticillata, P. vulgaris, P. watsonii
Synonyms P. leptocaulis
Name authority Vellozo: Fl. Flumin., 292. (1829): plate 66. (1831)
Web links 
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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