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Polygalaceae
Senega

not marked as a favorite taxon Senega ambigua (Nuttall) J.F.B. Pastore & J.R. Abbott. Common name: Loose Milkwort. Phenology: Jun-Sep. Habitat: Fields, woodlands, openings. Distribution: Maine west to Michigan, south to Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma.

Glossary (beta!)

Subgenus: Senega. Section: Verticillatae.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Through most of its range S. ambigua has wings 1.3-1.7 mm long; plants from se. VA south to SC and from the Ozarks have wings 2.0-2.6 mm long. These plants have been named as Polygala verticillata var. dolichoptera Fernald. They may warrant taxonomic recognition, but need additional study, including resolution of our Coastal Plain plants and those of the Ozarks.

Synonymy ⓘ: = POWO, Pastore et al (2023); = Polygala ambigua Nuttall — C, G, Il, K1, NE, S, S13, Tn; = Polygala verticillata L. var. ambigua (Nutt.) Wood — GrPl, Mo3, Pa, RAB, Tat, Tx; < Polygala verticillata L. — FNA10, K4, W; > Polygala verticillata L. var. ambigua (Nutt.) Wood — F, NS, WV; > Polygala verticillata L. var. dolichoptera Fernald — F, NS, WV. Basionym: Polygala ambigua Nuttall 1818

Links to other floras: < Polygala verticillata - FNA10

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU (name change)
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU (name change)
  • Great Plains: FACU (name change)
  • Midwest: FACU (name change)
  • Northcentral & Northeast: FACU (name change)

Heliophily ⓘ: 8

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image #1 of Senega ambigua© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
image #2 of Senega ambigua© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #3 of Senega ambigua© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #4 of Senega ambigua© Joey Shaw source | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

No horticultural data found for this taxon.