Blood milkwort
Also known as: purple milkwort, blood polygala, purple polygala
Polygala sanguinea L.
Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- Erect, usually single, simple or branching above, somewhat angled, glabrous.
- Leaves
- Alternate, numerous, erect or ascending, linear to elliptic-linear, .2 to 1.6 inches long, less than .2 inch wide; margins finely-toothed; tips abruptly short pointed.
- Inflorescence
- Raceme, head-like to short cylindric, blunt and dense, 1/5 to 1/2 inch in diameter, 1/4 to 1.4 inch long; terminal on stalks 1/6 to 1 inch long.
- Flower
- Pinkish, purplish, greenish or white; sepals 5, 2 lateral wings ovate-oval, less than 1/4 inch long, 1/10 to 1/8 inch wide, tips rounded; petals 3, united into a tube shorter than sepals, lowest petal or keel about 1/10 inch long, crested; stamens 8.
- Fruit
- Capsules, nearly circular, 2-seeded; seeds tiny, spherical, short-hairy.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Sandy prairies, open woods and moist meadows.
- Distribution
- East 1/3 of Kansas.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Polygalaceae - Milkwort Family
- Life Span
- Annual
- Height
- 4-16 inches
- Last Updated
- 2018-02-22
Color Groups
Blue, Purple, Lavender & Violet Wildflowers
Pink, Red & Orange Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: June, July, August, September