Polygalaceae
Milkwort Family
Polygala sanguinea L.
- Stem: annual; 8” to 18” tall; often several stems from one root crown; sometimes branched near the top; nearly hairless; leaf midribs continue down the stem as ridges.
- Leaves: alternate; linear with tapering bases and blunt tips, 1 1/2” (3/4”) by 1/8”; sessile; few hairs.
- Inflorescence: raceme of tightly clustered flowers at the stem tip and ends of the branches; about 1/2” long with new flowers being produced at the tips as the lower ones mature and drop off.
- Flowers: pink corolla which fades to white as the flowers age, 3/16” long; calyx 1/16” long, sharp-pointed; flowering from early July to late August.
- Fruits: two-seeded capsules that develop within the corollas; 1/16” long; fruits drop off when mature, each leaving a tiny bract on the stem; fruiting begins in mid-July.
- Habitat: frequent on moist to mesic prairies; also on dry and sandy prairies and in woodland openings.
- Notes: Field milkwort is often overlooked because it is overtopped by the surrounding vegetation. Spreading the grasses near the ground may reveal this small plant.
- Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Vascular Plants of Iowa
Can be found in these counties:
