Milkworts (Polygala)

..... basal rosette; AE whorled .....
..... alt on smooth stem lvs attached singly entire, broad, evergreen lvs whorls of 3 to 6
I. white fls: ..... ..... ..... .....
fls in long clover-heads ..... ..... ..... whorled m.w. (10.verticillata = whorled) sometimes pinkish; moist, sandy soil, grasslands & woods
small, pealike blossoms in loose clusters ..... Seneca snakeroot (6.senega) dry or moist woods & prairies, often in calcareous soil ..... .....
II. yellow or oranged fls: ..... ..... ..... .....
racemes numerous in terminal compound cymes ..... low pine-barren m.w. (2.ramosa) pine barren swamps on the coastal plain; s NJ to FL ..... .....
clover-like heads ..... yellow m.w. (4.lutea = yellow, fls) sepals continue on the pedicel as narrow wings; terminal globose infl; sandy acid swamps & bogs of the coastal plain; LI s. ..... .....
III. pink, red fls ..... ..... ..... .....
spike very dense ..... pink m.w. (5. incarnata) lvs linear; dry soil, upland woods, barrens & prairies; LI to FL ..... .....
capitate, ovoid or short-cylindric heads ..... purple m.w. (11.sanguinea) fields, meadows & open woods ..... short-leaved m.w. (15.brevifolia) sandy swamps on coastal plain; NJ s
pineapple-like ..... ..... ..... cross-leaved m.w. (16.cruciata) damp or wet soil, marshes, pine barrens, chiefly on coastal plain
mixture of clover-head & pineapple ..... Nuttall's m.w. (14.nuttallii = Thomas Nuttall, 1786-1839) dry sandy soil & barrens; e MA to GA ..... .....
raceme ..... racemed m.w. (8.polygama) dry, us sandy soil ...... .....
low, dainty fl with 2 larger flowers fringed polygala (1.pauciflolia) *moist, rich woods ..... ..... .....

* = flaring pink-purple wings (lateral sepals); petals united into tube, lower one tipped with bushy fringe