familyPolygalaceae
genusPolygala
speciesPolygala lutea

Polygala lutea

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 2: 705. 1753.

J. Richard Abbott
Common names: Orange milkwort
Synonyms: Pilostaxis lutea (Linnaeus) Small
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 10.

Herbs biennial or short-lived perennial, single or multistemmed, 0.6–5 dm, unbranched or branched distally; from taproot or fibrous-root cluster. Stems erect, sometimes laxly so, to nearly decumbent, glabrous. Leaves usually with basal rosette; alternate; sessile or subsessile, or with narrow petiolelike region to 1–2 mm; basal blade obovate, oblanceolate, or spatulate, cauline becoming narrowly ovate or nearly linear distally, basal to 60 × 20 mm, cauline to 40 × 10 mm, succulent, base cuneate, apex bluntly rounded to obtuse or acute, especially distally, surfaces glabrous. Racemes capitate, 0.8–3.5 (–4) × (0.8–) 1.2–2 cm; peduncle 3–10 cm; bracts deciduous, narrowly lanceolate. Pedicels winged, 1.5–2.8 mm, glabrous. Flowers usually bright orange, rarely yellow-orange, usually drying pale-yellow, 4.5–6 mm; sepals decurrent on pedicel, ovate, 1.2–2 mm, ciliolate; wings elliptic, 5–7.5 × 2.7–3.6 mm, apex acuminate to abruptly cuspidate, partially involute; keel 3.5–6 mm, crest 2-parted, with 2–4 lobes on each side, each lobe entire or divided. Capsules broadly ellipsoid to obovoid, 1.2–2.3 mm, margins not winged. Seeds 1–1.6 mm, pubescent; aril 0.5–1.6 mm, lobes 1/2 to subequal length of seed. 2n = 64, 68.


Phenology: Flowering spring–fall (nearly year-round).
Habitat: Moist to wet soils (at least seasonally), open fields, savannas, pine flatwoods, sandy mixed pine-hardwoods, bogs, poco­sins, pond margins.
Elevation: 0–200(–300) m.

Distribution

Ala., Del., Fla., Ga., La., Md., Miss., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Pa., S.C., Va.

Discussion

A single lemon-yellow flowered plant of Polygala lutea has been reported from Brunswick County, North Carolina (R. R. Smith and D. B. Ward 1976); populations elsewhere may also produce yellow or yellow-orange flowers. Smith and Ward also reported that a possible hybrid with P. rugelii had over 65% apparently non-functional pollen grains. DNA analysis of the nrITS region (J. R. Abbott, unpubl.) found the hybrids to be polymorphic at all of the bases that differed between the parents; coupled with their rarity in the landscape despite common co-occurrence with the parents, this supports the hypothesis that they are F1 hybrids rather than established introgressives.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"subequal" is not a number.

... more about "Polygala lutea"
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2n chromosome quantity
68 +  and 64 +
Anther dehiscence
dehiscent +
Anther fixation
basifixed +
Apex shape
acuminate +  and abruptly cuspidate +
Apex shape or vernation
involute +
Aril some measurement
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br />) +
Author
J. Richard Abbott +
Authority
Linnaeus +
Basal blade length
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
Basal blade shape
spatulate +, oblanceolate +  and obovate +
Basal blade width
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
Base shape
cuneate +
Blade architecture
veined +
Blade coloration or relief
punctate +
Blade growth form
dimorphic +
Blade position or structure subtype
secondary +
Blade prominence
obscure +
Blade size
uniform +
Blade surface pubescence
pubescent +  and glabrous +
Bract duration
deciduous +
Bract quantity
1 +
Bract shape
lanceolate +
Bracteole presence
absent +
Capsule shape
broadly ellipsoid +  and obovoid +
Capsule some measurement
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> (0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br />) +
Cauline blade length
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
Cauline blade shape
linear +  and ovate +
Cauline blade texture
succulent +
Cauline blade width
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Common name
Orange milkwort +
Corymb arrangement
fascicles +
Corymb size
reduced +
Crest pubescence
glabrous +
Crest shape
2-parted +
Distribution
Ala. +, Del. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, La. +, Md. +, Miss. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Pa. +, S.C. +  and Va. +
Elevation
0–200(–300) 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
pale-yellow +, yellow-orange +  and bright orange +
Flower coloration or density
purple +
Flower condition
drying +
Flower location
in proximal leaf-axils +  and subterranean +
Flower quantity
fewer +
Flower reproduction
cleistogamous +  and chasmogamous +
Flower some measurement
0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 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
Moist to wet soils (at least seasonally), open fields, savannas, pine flatwoods, sandy mixed pine-hardwoods, bogs, pocosins, pond margins. +
Herb architecture
branched +  and unbranched +
Herb architecture or growth form
multistemmed +
Herb arrangement
cluster +
Herb duration
perennial +, short-lived +  and biennial +
Herb quantity
single +
Herb some measurement
0.6dm (5dm) +
Inflorescence position or structure subtype
terminal +
Keel shape
crested +
Keel some measurement
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 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
alternate +
Leaf position
cauline +  and basal +
Leaf presence
absent +
Leaf variability
uniform +
Lobe quantity
1/2 (2) +
Lobe shape
divided +  and entire +
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 +
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 presence
absent +
Pedicel pubescence
glabrous +
Pedicel some measurement
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.28 cm2.8 mm <br />0.0028 m <br />) +
Peduncle presence
absent +
Peduncle some measurement
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
Petal quantity
3 +
Phenology
Flowering spring–fall (nearly year-round). +
Pistil architecture
syncarpous +  and 2[-8]-carpellate +
Publication title
Sp. Pl. +
Publication year
1753 +
Raceme architecture
interrupted +
Raceme architecture or shape
capitate +
Raceme atypical length
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
Raceme atypical width
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
Raceme length
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
Raceme width
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
Reference
None +
Region shape
petiolelike +
Region size or width
narrow +
Region some measurement
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
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 /> (0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br />) +
Seeds coat architecture
arillate +
Seeds coat pubescence
pubescent +
Sepal arrangement
imbricate +
Sepal duration
persistent +
Sepal pubescence
ciliolate +
Sepal quantity
5 +
Sepal shape
ovate +  and decurrent +
Sepal size
unequal +
Sepal some measurement
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 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
decumbent +
Stem orientation
erect +
Stem pubescence
glabrous +
Stigma quantity
2 +
Stipule architecture
not +  and petiolate +
Stipule presence
absent +
Style quantity
1 +
Subapical pore quantity
1 +
Surface pubescence
glabrous +
Synonyms
Pilostaxis lutea +
Taxon family
Polygalaceae +
Taxon name
Polygala lutea +
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 arrangement or shape
elliptic +
Wing duration
persistent +
Wing length
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.75 cm7.5 mm <br />0.0075 m <br />) +
Wing pubescence
glabrous +
Wing some measurement
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
Wing width
2.7mm;3.6mm +