Polygala appendiculata
Polygala balduinii
swamp milkwort
Baldwin's milkwort
erect, glabrous.
erect, glabrous.
alternate;
sessile or subsessile;
blade linear to subfiliform, 8–25 × 0.5–1 mm, base obtuse to cuneate, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous.
with basal rosette sometimes present at anthesis, sometimes withered or nearly so; alternate;
sessile or subsessile;
basal blade obovate, to 12 mm wide, cauline blade obovate, elliptic, or narrowly spatulate, sometimes becoming linear distally, 3–25 × 1–5 mm, base cuneate or acute, apex usually rounded proximally, acute to obtuse distally, surfaces glabrous.
cylindric, 1.5–13 × 0.5–0.6 cm;
peduncle 0.5–1 cm;
bracts deciduous, narrowly lanceolate-ovate.
in cymose panicles, ± flat-topped, 1.5–12 × 2.5–6 cm; each stem with (3–)5–20(–40) racemose branches, 0.4–6 × 0.7–1.5 cm;
central one nearly sessile, lateral ones with peduncle to 2 cm;
bracts persistent, lanceolate-ovate.
0.8–1 mm, glabrous.
winged, 0.6–1.2 mm, glabrous.
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.
usually white or cream, sometimes greenish tinged, drying white to brownish green, corolla usually becoming pale yellowish apically, 3–6 mm;
sepals decurrent on pedicel, ovate, lanceolate, or linear-lanceolate, 1.6–2.5 mm;
wings narrowly ovate to slightly obovate or elliptic, 2.8–4.8 × 0.9–1.7 mm, apex narrowing into apical cusp, 0.6–0.8 mm;
keel 2–4 mm, crest 2-parted, with 3 2-fid (rarely entire) lobes on each side.
oblong to ellipsoid, 1.4–2 × 0.7–1.1 mm, margins not winged.
depressed-suborbicular, 0.6–1 × 0.8–1.2 mm, margins not winged.
1–1.2 mm, pubescent;
aril 0.1(–0.2) mm, lobes less than 1/8 length of seed.
0.5–1 mm, pubescent;
aril 0–0.4 mm, lobes absent, reduced to minute scales, or to 1/3–2/5 length of seed.
= 64, 68.
Polygala appendiculata
Polygala balduinii
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.)
Plants from southern Florida have been recognized as var. carteri, based on their less robust stature and greener, less conspicuous inflorescences (R. R. Smith and D. B. Ward 1976). More specifically, extremes of var. carteri have more or less elongated racemes to 6 cm, bracts usually less than 2 mm, flowers cream to greenish white, seeds more than 0.6 mm, and arils a minute scale or absent, whereas extremes of var. balduinii have dense racemes to 3 cm, bracts usually more than 2 mm, flowers white, seeds less than 0.6 mm, and arils usually 0.2 mm (infrequently smaller). Such apparently distinctive features all intergrade and are not sharply geographically delineable; noting this, Smith and Ward stated that the northern limit of the variety was arbitrary.
Polygalaramosa is closely related to P. balduinii, despite the obvious contrast between the yellow-flowered (green when dry), loosely branched inflorescences of P. ramosa and the white or near-white, more compact inflorescences of P. balduinii. Hybrids occur and have been called P. balduinii var. chlorogena Torrey & A. Gray.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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