Polygala nana
Polygala lewtonii
candyroot, dwarf milkwort
lewton's milkwort
erect, glabrous.
erect, sometimes laxly so, to nearly decumbent, glabrous.
mostly basal, rarely cauline, with persistent rosette; alternate; usually with narrow petiolelike region to 15 mm, rarely (sub-)sessile;
basal blade spatulate, usually oblanceolate or obovate, rarely elliptic, 11–55 × (1.5–)5–20 mm, succulent, base cuneate or acute, apex rounded to acute, occasionally apiculate, rarely acuminate, surfaces glabrous.
usually alternate, sometimes subopposite or opposite when scalelike proximally (less than 2 mm);
sessile or subsessile, or with narrow petiolelike portion to 2(–3) mm;
blade spatulate to linear-oblong, sometimes scalelike proximally, 5–15(–30) × 1–3(–6) mm, base cuneate, apex obtuse to rounded or acute, surfaces glabrous.
capitate, 1–3.8 × 1–1.7 cm;
peduncle 2.3–7.5 cm;
bracts deciduous, often tardily so, or sometimes persistent, linear-subulate.
loosely cylindric (open, elongate), 1.3–6(–10) × 0.8–1.6 cm;
peduncle 0.5–1(–2) cm;
bracts deciduous, ovate to oblong-ovate or elliptic.
winged, 0.4–0.8(–1) mm, glabrous.
(1–)2(–3) mm, glabrous.
lemon-yellow to greenish yellow, drying green or yellowish green, 5.5–8.2 mm;
sepals decurrent on pedicel, lanceolate, 3–5.3 mm, sometimes ciliolate;
wings elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, 5.5–8 × 1.2–2(–2.6) mm, apex long-acuminate to cuspidate, involute, tip 0.7–1.6 mm;
keel 3.5–5.8 mm, crest 2-parted, with 3 entire or 2-fid, linear lobes on each side;
stamens 6(–8).
pink to pale purple, 6–8 mm;
sepals ovate, 0.8–1.1 mm;
wings elliptic or obovate, 3–6 ×1.5–2.7 mm, apex obtuse to bluntly rounded;
keel(2–)3–5 mm, crest 2-parted, with 2 or 3 lobes on each side, each lobe subdivided into 2–4 lobes.
broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, 1.6–2 × 1.2–1.6 mm, margins not winged.
ellipsoid or oblong, 2.5–3.5 × 1–1.5 mm, margins not winged.
0.8–1.8 mm, pubescent;
aril 0.7–1.1 mm, lobes 1/3 to equal length of seed.
2.3–3.3 mm, pubescent;
aril 2–3 mm, lobes 3/4 to equal length of seed.
flowers present in racemes usually below, rarely just above, soil surface, sometimes in proximal leaf axils later in season.
= 64, 68.
Polygala nana
Polygala lewtonii
Individuals of Polygala nana in scattered populations (especially in southern Florida) approach the habit of P. smallii, with the inflorescences scarcely exceeding the leaves; they can be distinguished using the differences discussed under 28. P. smallii. Herbarium specimens of robust individuals are sometimes confused with P. lutea and small, rosulate plants of P. lutea may be confused with P. nana. If fresh flower color (orange in P. lutea, yellow in P. nana) is not available, then the taxa can be distinguished readily by the pedicel length, 1.5–2.8 mm in P. lutea and less than 1 mm in P. nana, as well as the involute apical cusp on the sepal wings of P. nana usually ca. 1 mm (0.7–1.6 mm), versus sepal wings only partially involute apically and cusps (if present) less than 0.5 mm in P. lutea.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Polygala lewtonii occurs in Highlands, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, and Polk counties, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2010).
Polygala lewtonii is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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