Polygala senega L.

• Authority

  Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

• Family

  Polygalaceae

• Scientific Name

  Polygala senega L.

• Description

  Species Description - Perennial; stems mostly clustered, 1–5 dm, usually unbranched, minutely puberulent; lvs alternate, the lowest reduced or scale-like, the others lance-linear or wider, 3–8 cm × 3–30 mm; racemes dense, 1.5–4 cm × 5–8 mm, the peduncle 1–3 cm; fls white; wings broadly elliptic, 3–3.5 mm, exceeding the cor; fr suborbicular; seeds hairy, 2–3 mm, the aril nearly or quite as long. Dry or moist woods and prairies, often in calcareous soil; N.B. to Alta., s. to Ga. and Ark. May, June.

• Common Names

  Seneca-snakeroot