Polygala nana
Polygala scoparioides
candyroot, dwarf milkwort
broom milkwort
erect, glabrous.
erect, sometimes very slightly glaucous, puberulent, hairs incurved.
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.
alternate;
sessile or subsessile;
blade linear-lanceolate, linear, or linear-acicular, (3–)7–15 × 0.6–1.3 mm, base acute, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces subglabrous or 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 (flowering portion may appear subcapitate from deciduous fruit), (1–)1.5–7.8 ×0.4–0.8 cm;
peduncle 0.2–1 cm;
bracts deciduous, ovate to lanceolate-ovate.
winged, 0.4–0.8(–1) mm, glabrous.
0.5 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).
white, greenish veined, wings with green or purple longitudinal stripe, keel green to purplish brown, (2.7–)2.9–4.7 mm;
sepals oblong-ovate, 1.3 mm;
wings spatulate-obovate, (2.4–)2.7–4.5 × 1.3–1.6 mm, apex acute to obtuse;
keel 2.8 mm, crest 2-parted, with 3 usually divided lobes on each side.
broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, 1.6–2 × 1.2–1.6 mm, margins not winged.
oblong-ellipsoid, 3–4.5 × 1.6–2 mm, abaxial locule not winged, adaxial locule slightly longer, winged, wing very narrow.
0.8–1.8 mm, pubescent;
aril 0.7–1.1 mm, lobes 1/3 to equal length of seed.
2.5–3 mm, puberulent, coat with rows of pits 0.05 mm wide;
aril 1–1.9 mm, lobes (1/2–)2/3 to subequal length of seed.
= 64, 68.
= 32, 34.
Polygala nana
Polygala scoparioides
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 scoparioides is closely related to other Mexican taxa of the Monninopsis group, such as P. mexicana Moçiño ex Cavanilles, with which it intergrades morphologically.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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