Polygala cymosa
| Polygala cymosa | |
|---|---|
| |
| Photo taken by Gil Nelson | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Polygalaceae |
| Genus: | Polygala |
| Species: | P. cymosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Polygala cymosa Walter | |
| |
| Natural range of Polygala cymosa from USDA NRCS Plants Database. | |
Common name: Tall pinebarren milkwort
Contents
Taxonomic notes
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
"Similar to P. ramose. Stems usually solitary from a rosette, 4-12 dm tall. Basal leaves lanceolate to linear, 4-7 cm long, 3-7 mm wide, rapidly reduced upward. Sepals rounded to an abrupt acute apex, wings oblanceolate to nearly spatulate, 3-3.5 mm long; corolla with 2 clavate lobes at the apex equaling the wings. Seeds purplish black to grayish brown, glabrous and finely reticulate, ovoid, 0.6-0.8 mm long; aril obsolete." - Radford et al 1964
Distribution
P. cymosa is found throughout the southeast coastal plain from North Carolina to Louisiana[1].
Ecology
Habitat
In the Coastal Plain in Florida, P. cymosa can occur in cypress depressions and pine flatwoods (FSU Herbarium). Associated species include cypress and pines (FSU Herbarium).
Phenology
Flowers in May (FSU Herbarium).
Seed dispersal
Seed bank and germination
Fire ecology
Pollination
The following Hymenoptera families and species were observed visiting flowers of Polygala cymosa at Archbold Biological Station (Deyrup 2015):
Megachilidae: Megachile brevis pseudobrevis
Use by animals
Diseases and parasites
Conservation and Management
Cultivation and restoration
Photo Gallery
References and notes
Deyrup, M.A. and N.D. 2015. Database of observations of Hymenoptera visitations to flowers of plants on Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA.
Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: November 2015. Collectors: Bob Fewster, Robert K. Godfrey, Marc Minno, R.A. Norris, Cecil R. Slaughter. States and Counties: Florida: Flagler, Franklin, Gilchrist. Compiled by Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.
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. 660. Print.
