Polygala sanguinea |
Polygala verticillata |
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blood milkwort, blood or purple or field milkwort, field milkwort, polygale sanguin, purple milkwort |
polygale verticillé, whorled milkwort |
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Habit | Herbs annual, single-stemmed, (0.5–)1–4 dm, usually branched distally; from taproot (or rarely fibrous root cluster). | Herbs annual, single-stemmed, 0.5–3(–4) dm, usually branched distally; from slender taproot. |
Stems | erect, glabrous. |
erect, sometimes slightly glaucous, glabrous. |
Leaves | alternate; sessile or subsessile; blade spatulate proximally to linear or narrowly elliptic distally, (5–)10–20(–40) × (0.5–)1–3(–5) mm, base acute or obtuse, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous. |
usually whorled proximally, sometimes whorled to inflorescence, opposite to alternate distally, rarely alternate throughout; sessile or subsessile, petiole rarely to 1 mm; blade sometimes linear-spatulate proximally, usually linear, linear-oblong, -elliptic, or -lanceolate distally, (5–)10–20(–30) × 0.5–5.5 mm, base cuneate to acute, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous. |
Racemes | capitate to densely cylindric, (0.5–)1–2(–4) × 0.5–1.4 cm; peduncle 0.3–2.5(–3) cm; bracts subpersistent to tardily deciduous, subulate. |
nearly spikelike, conic to cylindric-conic, 0.5–5 × 0.2–0.6 cm, sometimes interrupted proximally, with some proximal fruits persistent below gap; peduncle to 9 cm (usually elongate); bracts deciduous, subulate to lanceolate. |
Pedicels | 0.4–1.5 mm, glabrous. |
0.2–1(–2) mm, glabrous. |
Flowers | usually pink, purple, or reddish purple, rarely white, sometimes greenish tinged, sepals sometimes pink or white, 4–6 mm; sepals oval, elliptic-ovate, or lanceolate, 1–3 mm; wings ovate to broadly elliptic, (2.6–)4.5–6.3 × (1–)2.5–3.5 mm, apex obtuse to broadly rounded, sometimes minutely apiculate, rarely acute; keel 2.5–3 mm, crest 2-parted, with 2–4 lobes on each side. |
white or with greenish or pinkish tinge, sepals sometimes purplish or whitish, 1–2.2(–2.6) mm; sepals ovate or elliptic to lanceolate, 0.5–1.6 mm, ciliate; wings suborbiculate, ovate, elliptic, or obovate, 1–2.6 × 0.8–2.5 mm, apex obtuse to bluntly rounded; keel 1.2–1.8 mm, crest 2-parted, with 1 or 2 lobes on each side. |
Capsules | usually with flattened, sterile base, cuneate-subglobose, 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 mm, margins not winged (sometimes with raised rim). |
subglobose or broadly ellipsoid to ovoid, 1.3–2.4 × 0.7–2.2 mm, margins not winged. |
Seeds | 1.3–1.7 mm, pubescent; aril 1–1.3 mm, lobes usually (1/2–)2/3 to ± length of seed, rarely minute. |
1.2–2.2 mm, pubescent; aril 0.5–1 mm, lobes 1/3–1/2 length of seed. |
2n | = 34. |
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Polygala sanguinea |
Polygala verticillata |
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Phenology | Flowering spring–summer. | Flowering spring–fall. |
Habitat | Prairies, old fields, gravelly logging road margins, meadows, glades, bogs, flatwoods, open woods. | Meadows, prairies, open woodlands, sand dunes, old fields, open places (limestone glades, railroad rights-of-way, rock quarries). |
Elevation | 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.) | 0–2100 m. (0–6900 ft.) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC
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AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WI; WV; WY; MB; NB; ON; QC; SK
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Discussion | Polygala sanguinea is the only species of the genus in the flora area with the wings to twice the length of the keel. Late season flowers can have much smaller wings, some as small as 2.6 × 1 mm. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Varieties of Polygala verticillata have been recognized; they co-occur and intergrade, suggesting that they are polymorphisms not worthy of taxonomic recognition. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 10. | FNA vol. 10. |
Parent taxa | Polygalaceae > Polygala | Polygalaceae > Polygala |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | P. viridescens | P. ambigua, P.pretzii pennell, P. verticillata var. ambigua, P. verticillata var. dolichoptera, P. verticillata var. isocycla, P. verticillata var. sphenostachya |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 705. (1753) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 706. (1753) |
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