Polygala incarnata
| Polygala incarnata | |
|---|---|
| |
| Photo taken by Gil Nelson | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons |
| Order: | Polygalales |
| Family: | Polygalaceae |
| Genus: | Polygala |
| Species: | P. incarnata |
| Binomial name | |
| Polygala incarnata L. | |
| |
| Natural range of Polygala incarnata from USDA NRCS Plants Database. | |
Common names: procession flower, pink milkwort
Contents
Taxonomic notes
Synonym: Galypola incarnata (Linnaeus) Nieuwland[1]
Varieties: none[1]
Description
"Herbs, whorled or alternate rarely opposite, entire leaves. Flowers lavender, pink, white or yellow, in racemes or spikes, terminating the branches or in terminal corymbs. Flowers perfect, zygomorphic, with 3 small sepals, frequently one of these slightly larger than the others, and 2 larger petaloid sepals (wigs). The 3 petals are united into a tube, 3-lobed at apex, the 2 lateral lobes usually the longer, the center lobe usually lacerate, often thicker in texture; stamens 6-8, united to the corolla tube in 2 rows. Capsule 2 –locular, with one seed in each locule. Seeds dark brown or black, ellipsoid or ovoid, rarely globose, 0.5-3 mm long, usually densely pubescent. The genus has been divided into several genera none of which have distinct characteristics. Orange flowers turn pale yellow on drying, yellow ones bluish green; the pink or lavender ones remain the same color or fade slightly."[2]
"Glabrous, glaucous annual. Stems strict to slightly branched, the cotyledons often present at flowering time. Leaves fleshy, alternate, linear, 5-17 mm long, setaceous or sharply acute. Flowers in spike or racemes; pedicels 1 mm or less long or absent. Sepals ca. 1 mm long, pink, acute or acuminate, wings similar but larger, 2.5-3 mm long, oblanceolate, pink; corolla tube reddish pink, prominently fringed, 5-6.5 mm long; stamens 8. Seeds black, 1-1.7 mm long; aril confined to base, lobe 1, scarcely projecting."[2]
Distribution
Ecology
Habitat
This species has been found in longleaf pine flatwoods, near sphagnum filled boggy areas, and savannas in drying and moist loamy sands of well drained uplands.[3] It has also been found in the sand pine scrub of Ocala National Forest.[4]P. incarnata has also been seen growing in disturbed habitats such as raked fire breaks of upland longleaf pine-wiregrass communities at Pebble Hill Plantation.[5] Associated species include longleaf pine and wiregrass.[3]
Phenology
P. incarnata has been observed flowering from April to July and in September with peak inflorescence in May.[3][6]
Fire ecology
Polygala incarnata occurs in areas that are on frequent burn intervals,[3] as evidenced by populations known to persist through repeated annual burning.[7]
Conservation, cultivation, and restoration
Cultural use
Photo Gallery
References and notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Weakley, A.S. 2020. Flora of the Southeastern United States. Edition of 20 October 2020. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Radford, Albert E., Harry E. Ahles, and C. Ritchie Bell. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. 1964, 1968. The University of North Carolina Press. 658. Print.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: June 2014. Collectors: Loran C. Anderson, R. A. Norris, Rodie White, R. Komarek, R. F. Doren, Robert K. Godfrey, and M. Davis. States and Counties: Florida: Jefferson, Wakulla, and Washington. Georgia: Grady and Thomas.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedGreenberg 2003 - ↑ DiSabatino, Dante G. 2015. Personal observation at Pebble Hill Plantation, Grady County, GA
- ↑ Nelson, G. PanFlora: Plant data for the eastern United States with emphasis on the Southeastern Coastal Plains, Florida, and the Florida Panhandle. www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ Accessed: 12 DEC 2016
- ↑ Platt, W.J., R. Carter, G. Nelson, W. Baker, S. Hermann, J. Kane, L. Anderson, M. Smith, K. Robertson. 2021. Unpublished species list of Wade Tract old-growth longleaf pine savanna, Thomasville, Georgia.
