Polygala verticillata

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 2: 706. 1753.

Common names: Whorled milkwort polygale verticillé
Synonyms: Polygala ambigua Nuttall P.pretzii pennell P. verticillata var. ambigua (Nuttall) Alph. Wood P. verticillata var. dolichoptera Fernald P. verticillata var. isocycla Fernald P. verticillata var. sphenostachya Pennell
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 10.
Revision as of 20:03, 7 June 2022 by imported>Volume Importer
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Herbs annual, single-stemmed, 0.5–3 (–4) dm, usually branched distally; from slender taproot. Stems erect, sometimes slightly glaucous, glabrous. Leaves 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 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 0.2–1 (–2) mm, glabrous. Flowers 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 subglobose or broadly ellipsoid to ovoid, 1.3–2.4 × 0.7–2.2 mm, margins not winged. Seeds 1.2–2.2 mm, pubescent; aril 0.5–1 mm, lobes 1/3–1/2 length of seed. 2n = 34.


Phenology: Flowering spring–fall.
Habitat: Meadows, prairies, open woodlands, sand dunes, old fields, open places (limestone glades, railroad rights-of-way, rock quarries).
Elevation: 0–2100 m.

Distribution

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

Discussion

Varieties of Polygala verticillata have been recognized; they co-occur and intergrade, suggesting that they are polymorphisms not worthy of taxonomic recognition.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Polygala verticillata"
obtuse +  and bluntly rounded +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
J. Richard Abbott +
Linnaeus +
cuneate +  and acute +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
lanceolate +, elliptic +, linear-oblong +, linear +  and linear-spatulate +
uniform +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 m <br />) +
deciduous +
subulate +  and lanceolate +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.24 cm2.4 mm <br />0.0024 m <br />) +
broadly ellipsoid +  and ovoid +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.22 cm2.2 mm <br />0.0022 m <br />) +
Whorled milkwort +  and polygale verticillé +
reduced +
2-parted +
Man. +, N.B. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Vt. +, Va. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +  and Wyo. +
0–2100 m. +
sessile +  and pedicellate +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
pinkish tinge +, greenish +  and white +
in proximal leaf-axils +  and subterranean +
cleistogamous +  and chasmogamous +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
samaroid +  and pseudomonomerous +
glabrous +  and pubescent +
isodiametric +  and slightly oblong +
persistent +
Meadows, prairies, open woodlands, sand dunes, old fields, open places (limestone glades, railroad rights-of-way, rock quarries). +
branched +  and single-stemmed +
crested +
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
subsessile +  and sessile +
alternate +  and opposite +
cauline +  and basal +
leaf-opposed +, axillary +  and terminal +
glabrous +, ciliolate +  and ciliate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
Flowering spring–fall. +
syncarpous +  and 2[-8]-carpellate +
usually brownish +  and whitish +
exfoliating +
ellipsoid +
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> (0.22 cm2.2 mm <br />0.0022 m <br />) +
0.22 cm2.2 mm <br />0.0022 m <br /> (0.26 cm2.6 mm <br />0.0026 m <br />) +
whitish +  and purplish +
persistent +
elliptic +  and lanceolate +
unequal +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br /> (?) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
conic +  and cylindric-conic +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
prostrate +  and decumbent +
glabrous +  and glaucous +
not +  and petiolate +
Polygala ambigua +, P.pretzii pennell +, P. verticillata var. ambigua +, P. verticillata var. dolichoptera +, P. verticillata var. isocycla +  and P. verticillata var. sphenostachya +
Polygala verticillata +
Polygala +
species +
crested +  and lobed +
persistent +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.26 cm2.6 mm <br />0.0026 m <br />) +
obovate +, elliptic +, ovate +  and suborbiculate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
0.8mm;2.5mm +