familyPolygalaceae
genusPolygala
speciesPolygala vulgaris

Polygala vulgaris

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 2: 702. 1753.

J. Richard Abbott
Common names: Common or European milkwort
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 10.

Herbs short-lived perennial, usually multistemmed, rarely with 1 or few stems, 1.5–4 dm, unbranched or branched dis­tally; from small, thickened, woody caudex. Stems erect to decumbent, pubescent or sub­glabrous, hairs incurved. Leaves alternate; sessile or subsessile; blade narrowly oblanceolate-spatulate to elliptic or lanceolate, 5–35 × 1–5 mm, base cuneate, apex rounded or acute, surfaces glabrous. Racemes broadly cylindric, usually elongate, 0.5–2.5 (–9) × 0.5–2 cm; peduncle usually poorly developed, 0.2–1.5 (–2.5) cm; peduncle and central axis pubescent; bracts deciduous, lanceolate. Pedicels 1.5–4 (–5.8) mm, glabrous. Flowers blue, pink, or white, 5–8 mm; sepals ovate to elliptic, 1.6–3.5 mm, pubescent; wings obovate, 3–5 × 2–3 mm, apex obtuse to bluntly rounded; keel 5–8 mm, crest 2-parted, with 2–4 lobes on each side. Capsules broadly ellipsoid, ovoid, or slightly obovoid, (3–) 4–6 × 2.5–4 mm, margins narrowly winged, rim 0.2–0.4 mm wide. Seeds 3.2–4.2 mm, pubescent; aril 1–1.7 mm, lobes 1/2 length of seed. 2n = 24–32, 34, 38, ca. 56, 68, ca. 70.


Phenology: Flowering spring–mid summer.
Habitat: Dry hillsides near dunes, meadows, grassy roadsides, disturbed areas.
Elevation: 0–400 m.

Distribution

Introduced; B.C., Mich., Oreg., Wash., Europe, Asia

Discussion

A 1947 specimen of Polygala vulgaris from Vancouver Island (at V) reported this species as apparently naturalized (H. J. Scoggan 1978–1979, part 3). Two other collections (both at V) are known from nearby, at Comox in 1941 and on Texada Island in 1999, the latter with approximately 150 clumps, according to the collector. Polygala vulgaris appears to be naturalized, at least locally, along the Strait of Georgia in British Columbia. The Michigan collections (MICH) are from 1916 and 1974 from different counties, suggesting that P. vulgaris may be sparsely naturalized in Mich­igan or just a casual waif. In Oregon, there are six collections (OSC, WTU) from 1950 to 2018 from three different counties, documenting a long-term presence. There is a single collection (WTU) from 2014 from Clark County, Washington. This taxon seems naturalized in North America, at least in British Columbia, Oregon, and probably Washington.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Polygala vulgaris"
RDF feed
2n chromosome quantity
70 +, 68 +, 56 +, 38 +, 34 +, 24 +  and 32 +
Anther dehiscence
dehiscent +
Anther fixation
basifixed +
Apex shape
obtuse +  and bluntly rounded +
Aril some measurement
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.17 cm1.7 mm <br />0.0017 m <br />) +
Author
J. Richard Abbott +
Authority
Linnaeus +
Base shape
cuneate +
Blade architecture
veined +
Blade coloration or relief
punctate +
Blade growth form
dimorphic +
Blade length
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
Blade position or structure subtype
secondary +
Blade prominence
obscure +
Blade shape
narrowly oblanceolate-spatulate +  and elliptic or lanceolate +
Blade size
uniform +
Blade surface pubescence
pubescent +  and glabrous +
Blade width
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
Bract duration
deciduous +
Bract quantity
1 +
Bract shape
lanceolate +
Bracteole presence
absent +
Capsule atypical length
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Capsule length
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Capsule shape
obovoid +, ovoid +  and ellipsoid +
Capsule width
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Central axis pubescence
pubescent +
Common name
Common or European milkwort +
Corymb arrangement
fascicles +
Corymb size
reduced +
Crest pubescence
glabrous +
Crest shape
2-parted +
Distribution
B.C. +, Mich. +, Oreg. +, Wash. +, Europe +  and Asia +
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 +, pink +  and blue +
Flower coloration or density
purple +
Flower location
in proximal leaf-axils +  and subterranean +
Flower quantity
fewer +
Flower reproduction
cleistogamous +  and chasmogamous +
Flower some measurement
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 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
Dry hillsides near dunes, meadows, grassy roadsides, disturbed areas. +
Herb architecture
branched +  and unbranched +
Herb architecture or growth form
multistemmed +
Herb duration
perennial +  and short-lived +
Herb quantity
single +
Herb some measurement
1.5dm (4dm) +
Inflorescence position or structure subtype
terminal +
Introduced
true +
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
alternate +
Leaf position
cauline +  and basal +
Leaf presence
absent +
Leaf variability
uniform +
Lobe length
1/2 length of seed (?) +
Lobe quantity
2 (4) +
Locule atypical quantity
2 (40) +
Lower petal life cycle
anthesis +
Lower petal quantity
1 +
Lower sepal quantity
2 +
Margin architecture
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 atypical some measurement
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.58 cm5.8 mm <br />0.0058 m <br />) +
Pedicel presence
absent +
Pedicel pubescence
glabrous +
Pedicel some measurement
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Peduncle atypical some measurement
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
Peduncle development
developed +
Peduncle presence
absent +
Peduncle pubescence
pubescent +
Peduncle some measurement
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
Petal quantity
3 +
Phenology
Flowering spring–mid summer. +
Pistil architecture
syncarpous +  and 2[-8]-carpellate +
Publication title
Sp. Pl. +
Publication year
1753 +
Raceme architecture
interrupted +
Raceme atypical length
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
Raceme length
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
Raceme shape
elongate +  and cylindric +
Raceme width
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
Reference
None +
Rim width
0.2mm;0.4mm +
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
0.32 cm3.2 mm <br />0.0032 m <br /> (0.42 cm4.2 mm <br />0.0042 m <br />) +
Seeds coat architecture
arillate +
Seeds coat pubescence
pubescent +
Sepal arrangement
imbricate +
Sepal duration
persistent +
Sepal pubescence
pubescent +
Sepal quantity
5 +
Sepal shape
ovate +  and elliptic +
Sepal size
unequal +
Sepal some measurement
0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 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
incurved +, erect +  and decumbent +
Stem pubescence
sub glabrous , hairs +  and pubescent +
Stem quantity
few +  and 1 +
Stigma quantity
2 +
Stipule architecture
not +  and petiolate +
Stipule presence
absent +
Style quantity
1 +
Subapical pore quantity
1 +
Surface pubescence
glabrous +
Taxon family
Polygalaceae +
Taxon name
Polygala vulgaris +
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 duration
persistent +
Wing length
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
Wing pubescence
glabrous +
Wing shape
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 +