Flora of the Southeastern United States

Polygalaceae Hoffmannsegg & Link. Common name: Milkwort Family.

Key to Polygalaceae

A family of about 29 genera and about 1200 species, trees, shrubs, woody vines, and herbs, nearly cosmopolitan, but most diverse in tropical and subtropical areas.

ID notes: The Polygalaceae has a distinctive flower structure which can be confusing. The corolla consists of 3 fused petals, partly fused into a tube, and also fused with the stamens. The lower petal is called the keel; it is usually boatlike, and also (in most species in our region) lacerate, fringed, or lobed at its tip. The calyx is 5-lobed, the lobes usually of 3 distinct sizes. The two lateral sepals are called wings; they are generally large and petaloid (colored like petals). The upper sepal is usually the next largest; the two lower sepals are usually the smallest.

References: Abbott (2011); Abbott (2021) In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2021); Eriksen & Persson In Kubitzki, Bayer, & Stevens (2007); Miller (1971b); Pastore & Abbott (2012); Pastore et al. (2019); Pastore et al. (2021); Pastore et al. (2023). Show full citations.

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