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 name: Procession flower

Taxonomic notes

Synonym: Galypola incarnata (Linnaeus) Nieuwland

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." - Radford et al 1964

"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." - Radford et al 1964

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 (FSU Herbarium). It has also been found in the sand pine scrub of Ocala National Forest (Greenberg 2003). 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 (DiSabatino). Associated species include longleaf pine and wiregrass (FSU Herbarium).

Phenology

This species has been observed flowering in April and May (FSU Herbarium).

Fire ecology

It occurs in areas that are on frequent burn intervals (FSU Herbarium).

References and notes

DiSabatino, Dante G. 2015. Personal observation at Pebble Hill Plantation, Grady County, GA

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.

Greenberg, C. H. (2003). "Vegetation recovery and stand structure following a prescribed stand-replacement burn in sand pine scrub." Natural Areas Journal 23: 141-151.

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.