familyPolygalaceae
genusPolygala
speciesPolygala senega

Polygala senega

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 2: 704. 1753.

J. Richard Abbott
Common names: Seneca snakeroot polygale sénéca
Synonyms: Polygalalonchophylla greene P.senega var. var. latifolia Torrey & A. Gray
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 10.
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Herbs perennial, usually multi­-stemmed, (1–) 1.5–5 dm, unbranched or sparsely branched distally; from thick­ened caudex. Stems erect, puberulent or glabrous, hairs appressed, incurved, and spreading. Leaves alternate; subsessile or petiolate, petiole to 0.5–5 mm; blade scalelike proximally, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate-elliptic, lanceolate, or lanceolate-ovate distally, (13–) 20–80 × (1.5–) 8–35 mm, base acute, margins often appearing serrulate from toothlike projections associated with cilia, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous. Racemes conic or cylindric-conic, (1–) 1.5–4 (–4.5) × 0.5–0.9 cm; peduncle 1–3 cm; bracts deciduous, ovate. Pedicels 0.5 (–1) mm, glabrous. Flowers white, wings often with greenish veins, other sepals sometimes white, 2–4 mm; sepals ovate or lanceolate, 1–2 mm; wings suborbiculate to broadly elliptic or obovate, 2–3.7 × 2–3 mm, apex bluntly rounded (or rarely obtuse); keel 2–3.5 mm, crest 2-parted, with 2–4 lobes on each side. Capsules subglobose or ovoid, 2.5–4.5 × 3–4.3 mm, margins not winged. Seeds 2–3.5 mm, sparsely pubescent; aril 1.9–3.6 mm, lobes subequal to longer than length of seed. 2n = 34.


Phenology: Flowering spring–mid summer.
Habitat: Open woods, mesic forests, prairies, rocky creek bottoms, often on soils derived from limestone or mafic rocks, roadsides, clearings.
Elevation: 50–800 m.

Distribution

Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Ont., Que., Sask., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Mo., Nebr., N.J., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis., Wyo.

Discussion

Two varieties have been recognized within Polygala senega: var. latifolia (= P. lonchophylla) with the distal leaf blades more than 1 cm wide (in correlation with an overall more robust habit and slightly larger size of most parts), and var. senega, with the distal leaf blades to 1 cm wide. A. E. Trauth-Nare and R. F. C. Naczi (1998) suggested that these entities may warrant specific recognition based on size and phenology differences, but in the absence of published details, the ranges and morphological features overlap too extensively to warrant taxonomic recognition.

Manitoba and Saskatchewan have been the major source of wild harvested roots of Polygala senega in North America, with up to several thousand kilo­grams being harvested annually (C. J. Briggs 1988). An increase in demand for Polygala senega has raised concerns about sustainable harvest (C. L. Turcotte 1997).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Polygala senega"
RDF feed
2n chromosome quantity
34 +
Anther dehiscence
dehiscent +
Anther fixation
basifixed +
Apex shape
rounded +, acute +  and acuminate +
Aril some measurement
0.19 cm1.9 mm <br />0.0019 m <br /> (0.36 cm3.6 mm <br />0.0036 m <br />) +
Author
J. Richard Abbott +
Authority
Linnaeus +
Base shape
acute +
Blade architecture
veined +
Blade atypical length
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
Blade atypical width
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
Blade coloration or relief
punctate +
Blade growth form
dimorphic +
Blade length
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
Blade position or structure subtype
secondary +
Blade prominence
obscure +
Blade shape
linear-lanceolate +  and lanceolate-elliptic lanceolate or lanceolate-ovate +
Blade size
uniform +
Blade surface pubescence
pubescent +  and glabrous +
Blade width
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
Bract duration
deciduous +
Bract quantity
1 +
Bract shape
ovate +
Bracteole presence
absent +
Capsule length
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
Capsule shape
ovoid +  and subglobose +
Capsule width
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.43 cm4.3 mm <br />0.0043 m <br />) +
Common name
Seneca snakeroot +  and polygale sénéca +
Corymb arrangement
fascicles +
Corymb size
reduced +
Crest pubescence
glabrous +
Crest shape
2-parted +
Distribution
Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Ark. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mo. +, Nebr. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Vt. +, Va. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +  and Wyo. +
Elevation
50–800 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 +
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
Open woods, mesic forests, prairies, rocky creek bottoms, often on soils derived from limestone or mafic rocks, roadsides, clearings. +
Hair fixation or orientation
appressed +
Hair orientation
spreading +  and incurved +
Herb architecture
branched +, unbranched +  and -stemmed +
Herb architecture or growth form
multistemmed +
Herb atypical some measurement
1dm (1.5dm) +
Herb duration
perennial +
Herb quantity
single +
Herb some measurement
1.5dm (5dm) +
Illustration
Present +
Inflorescence position or structure subtype
terminal +
Keel shape
crested +
Keel some measurement
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 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
petiolate +  and subsessile +
Leaf arrangement
alternate +
Leaf position
cauline +  and basal +
Leaf presence
absent +
Leaf variability
uniform +
Lobe quantity
2 (4) +
Lobe size
subequal +  and longer +
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
serrulate +
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 atypical some measurement
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
Pedicel presence
absent +
Pedicel pubescence
glabrous +
Pedicel some measurement
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (?) +
Peduncle presence
absent +
Peduncle some measurement
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
Petal quantity
3 +
Petiole some measurement
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
Phenology
Flowering spring–mid summer. +
Pistil architecture
syncarpous +  and 2[-8]-carpellate +
Projection shape
toothlike +
Publication title
Sp. Pl. +
Publication year
1753 +
Raceme architecture
interrupted +
Raceme atypical length
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br />) +
Raceme length
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
Raceme shape
cylindric-conic +  and conic +
Raceme width
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
Reference
None +
Rootstock coloration
usually brownish +  and whitish +
Rootstock relief
exfoliating +
Seed architecture
arillate +
Seed architecture or pubescence or relief
smooth +
Seed character
length +
Seed coloration
blackish +
Seed pubescence
pubescent +
Seed quantity
1 +
Seed shape
ellipsoid +
Seed some measurement
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
Seeds coat architecture
arillate +
Seeds coat pubescence
pubescent +
Sepal arrangement
imbricate +
Sepal coloration
white +
Sepal duration
persistent +
Sepal pubescence
glabrous +
Sepal quantity
5 +
Sepal shape
lanceolate +  and ovate +
Sepal size
unequal +
Sepal some measurement
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 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
prostrate +  and decumbent +
Stem orientation
erect +
Stem pubescence
glabrous +  and puberulent +
Stigma quantity
2 +
Stipule architecture
not +  and petiolate +
Stipule presence
absent +
Style quantity
1 +
Subapical pore quantity
1 +
Surface pubescence
glabrous +
Synonyms
Polygalalonchophylla greene +  and P.senega var. var. latifolia +
Taxon family
Polygalaceae +
Taxon name
Polygala senega +
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 +
Vein coloration
greenish +
Volume
Volume 10 +
Wing duration
persistent +
Wing length
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.37 cm3.7 mm <br />0.0037 m <br />) +
Wing pubescence
glabrous +
Wing shape
suborbiculate +  and broadly elliptic or obovate +
Wing some measurement
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
Wing width
2mm;3mm +