familyPolygalaceae
genusPolygala
speciesPolygala incarnata

Polygala incarnata

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 2: 701. 1753.

J. Richard Abbott
Common names: Procession flower slender milkwort
Synonyms: Galypola incarnata (Linnaeus) Nieuwland
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 10.
Please click on the illustration for a higher resolution version.
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Herbs annual, single-stemmed, (1–) 2–4 (–7) dm, sparsely branched (rarely from near base); from taproot. Stems erect, glaucous, glabrous. Leaves mostly alternate, some­times whorled or opposite at lowest 1–2 nodes proximally; sessile or subsessile; blade linear, (3–) 4–12 (–17) × 0.3–1 mm, base obtuse to acute or slightly cuneate, apex acuminate, surfaces glabrous. Racemes (rarely spikelike), densely cylindric, (0.6–) 1–3.5 (–4) × 1–1.3 cm; peduncle 2–4 cm; bracts deciduous, ovate to lanceolate-ovate. Pedicels (0–) 0.5–1 mm, glabrous. Flowers usually pink to purple, rarely white, sepals pink, 5–8 (–10) mm; sepals narrowly ovate to linear-oblong or lanceolate, 0.9–1.5 (–2.5) mm; wings narrowly ovate to linear-oblong or narrowly oblanceolate, 1.5–3 (–4) × 0.6–1 mm, apex acute to obtuse; keel 5–8 mm, crest 2-parted, with 3 lobes on each side, each 2–4-lobed. Capsules ellipsoid or subglobose-ovoid, 2.4–3.5 × 1.5–3 mm, margins not winged. Seeds 1–2.2 mm, pubescent; aril to 1.1 mm, not obviously lobed, to 1/4 length of seed.


Phenology: Flowering spring–late summer (year-round).
Habitat: Prairies, meadows, savannas, bogs, old fields, open woodlands.
Elevation: 0–400 m.

Distribution

Ont., Ala., Ark., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Md., Mich., Miss., Mo., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va., Wis., Mexico (Veracruz), Central America (to Nicaragua)

Discussion

Polygala incarnata is the only species in the flora area with the keel two (or rarely three) times the length of the sepal wings. It appears to be relatively rare over much of its range.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Polygala incarnata"
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Anther dehiscence
dehiscent +
Anther fixation
basifixed +
Apex shape
acute +  and obtuse +
Aril length
0 length of seed (1/4 length of seed) +
Aril shape
lobed +
Aril some measurement
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.11 cm1.1 mm <br />0.0011 m <br />) +
Author
J. Richard Abbott +
Authority
Linnaeus +
Base shape
obtuse +  and acute or slightly cuneate +
Blade architecture
veined +
Blade arrangement or course or shape
linear +
Blade atypical length
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
Blade coloration or relief
punctate +
Blade growth form
dimorphic +
Blade length
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
Blade position or structure subtype
secondary +
Blade prominence
obscure +
Blade size
uniform +
Blade surface pubescence
pubescent +  and glabrous +
Blade width
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
Bract duration
deciduous +
Bract quantity
1 +
Bract shape
ovate +  and lanceolate-ovate +
Bracteole presence
absent +
Capsule length
0.24 cm2.4 mm <br />0.0024 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
Capsule shape
subglobose-ovoid +  and ellipsoid +
Capsule width
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Common name
Procession flower +  and slender milkwort +
Corymb arrangement
fascicles +
Corymb size
reduced +
Crest pubescence
glabrous +
Crest shape
2-4-lobed +  and 2-parted +
Distribution
Ont. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Md. +, Mich. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Va. +, Wis. +, Mexico (Veracruz) +  and Central America (to Nicaragua) +
Elevation
0–400 m. +
Filament fusion
connate +
Flower architecture
sessile +  and pedicellate +
Flower architecture or shape
symmetric +
Flower arrangement
not grouped +
Flower atypical some measurement
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Flower coloration
white +, usually pink +  and purple +
Flower coloration or density
purple +
Flower location
in proximal leaf-axils +  and subterranean +
Flower quantity
fewer +
Flower reproduction
cleistogamous +  and chasmogamous +
Flower some measurement
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
Fruits capsule architecture
samaroid +  and pseudomonomerous +
Fruits capsule dehiscence
dehiscent +
Fruits capsule pubescence
glabrous +  and pubescent +
Fruits capsule shape
isodiametric +  and slightly oblong +
Habitat
Prairies, meadows, savannas, bogs, old fields, open woodlands. +
Herb architecture
branched +  and single-stemmed +
Herb architecture or growth form
multistemmed +
Herb atypical some measurement
4dm (7dm) +
Herb duration
annual +
Herb quantity
single +
Herb some measurement
2dm (4dm) +
Illustration
Present +
Inflorescence position or structure subtype
terminal +
Keel shape
crested +
Keel some measurement
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
Lateral inner sepal architecture
petaloid +
Lateral inner sepal fusion
adnate +
Lateral inner sepal size
expanded +
Lateral petal quantity
2 +
Lateral petal size
reduced +
Leaf architecture
subsessile +  and sessile +
Leaf arrangement
opposite +, whorled +  and alternate +
Leaf position
cauline +  and basal +
Leaf presence
absent +
Leaf variability
uniform +
Lobe quantity
3 (?) +
Locule atypical quantity
2 (40) +
Lower petal life cycle
anthesis +
Lower petal quantity
1 +
Lower sepal quantity
2 +
Margin architecture
not winged +
Margin architecture or shape
entire +
Margin position
leaf-opposed +, axillary +  and terminal +
Margin pubescence
glabrous +, ciliolate +  and ciliate +
Node position
lowest +
Node quantity
1;2 +
Number of lower taxa
0 +
Outer sepal quantity
1 +  and 3 +
Ovary architecture
2-loculed +
Ovary architecture or structure in adjective form
2[-8]-locular +
Ovary placentation
axile +
Ovary position
superior +
Ovule quantity
1 +
Pedicel architecture
winged +
Pedicel atypical some measurement
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
Pedicel presence
absent +
Pedicel pubescence
glabrous +
Pedicel some measurement
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
Peduncle presence
absent +
Peduncle some measurement
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
Petal quantity
3 +
Phenology
Flowering spring–late summer (year-round). +
Pistil architecture
syncarpous +  and 2[-8]-carpellate +
Publication title
Sp. Pl. +
Publication year
1753 +
Raceme architecture
interrupted +
Raceme atypical length
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
Raceme length
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
Raceme shape
cylindric +
Raceme width
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
Reference
None +
Rootstock coloration
usually brownish +  and whitish +
Rootstock relief
exfoliating +
Seed architecture
arillate +
Seed architecture or pubescence or relief
smooth +
Seed coloration
blackish +
Seed pubescence
pubescent +
Seed quantity
1 +
Seed shape
ellipsoid +
Seed some measurement
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.22 cm2.2 mm <br />0.0022 m <br />) +
Seeds coat architecture
arillate +
Seeds coat pubescence
pubescent +
Sepal arrangement
imbricate +
Sepal atypical some measurement
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
Sepal coloration
pink +
Sepal duration
persistent +
Sepal pubescence
glabrous +
Sepal quantity
5 +
Sepal shape
narrowly ovate +  and linear-oblong or lanceolate +
Sepal size
unequal +
Sepal some measurement
0.09 cm0.9 mm <br />9.0e-4 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (?) +
Shrub architecture
unarmed +
Shrub growth form
clonal +
Shrub reproduction
synoecious +
Slit height or length or size
short +
Species architecture
capsular +
Stamen atypical quantity
6 (8) +
Stamen quantity
8 +
Stem architecture or arrangement
lax +
Stem growth form or orientation
prostrate +  and decumbent +
Stem orientation
erect +
Stem pubescence
glabrous +  and glaucous +
Stigma quantity
2 +
Stipule architecture
not +  and petiolate +
Stipule presence
absent +
Style quantity
1 +
Subapical pore quantity
1 +
Surface pubescence
glabrous +
Synonyms
Galypola incarnata +
Taxon family
Polygalaceae +
Taxon name
Polygala incarnata +
Taxon parent
Polygala +
Taxon rank
species +
Upper petal arrangement or vernation
conduplicate +
Upper petal orientation
reflexed +
Upper petal quantity
2 +
Upper petal shape
crested +  and lobed +
Upper sepal quantity
2 +
Volume
Volume 10 +
Wing atypical length
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Wing duration
persistent +
Wing length
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Wing pubescence
glabrous +
Wing shape
narrowly ovate +  and linear-oblong or narrowly oblanceolate +
Wing some measurement
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
Wing width
0.6mm;1mm +