Polygala sanguinea L.
Family: Polygalaceae
blood milkwort, field milkwort, purple milkwort
[Polygala sanguinea f. albiflora L.,  more...]
Polygala sanguinea image
Merel R. Black  
Polygala sanguinea image
Emmet J. Judziewicz  
Polygala sanguinea image
University of Wisconsin - Madison (WIS-VP)  
Etymology: Polygala: from Greek polys, "many or much," and gala, "milk," since it was thought that the presence of some of the species in a pasture increased the yield of milk
Plants: erect, annual, 4"-16" tall forb; stems usually solitary or branching towards the top
Leaves: linear to narrowly-elliptical
Flowers: rose-purple to white, 5-parted, 1/4"-1/3" wide, about half as long as wide, 5 petal-like sepals with the 3 inner ones small and the 2 outer ones large, wing-like, oval; inflorescence a 3/4" dense, terminal cluster (raceme), head-like, rounded to cylindrical up to 1/3" thick; blooms July-Sept.
Habitat: moist; woods, prairies, fields
Conservation Status: Native
Polygala sanguinea image
Emmet J. Judziewicz  
Polygala sanguinea image
Steve C. Garske  
Polygala sanguinea image
Merel R. Black  
Polygala sanguinea image
Kitty Kohout  
Polygala sanguinea image
Aaron Carlson  
Polygala sanguinea image
Emmet J. Judziewicz  
Polygala sanguinea image
Steve C. Garske  
Polygala sanguinea image
Emmet J. Judziewicz  
Polygala sanguinea image
Aaron Carlson  
Polygala sanguinea image
Aaron Carlson  
Polygala sanguinea image
Polygala sanguinea image
Aaron_Carlson  
Polygala sanguinea image
Aaron_Carlson  
Polygala sanguinea image