by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages
Polygalaceae > Polygala (Milkworts) | |
Fringed Polygala, Gaywings (Polygala paucifolia) Clay Co., NC 14 May 2005 Uncommon in NC in the mountains. | |
Orange Milkwort (Polygala lutea) Brunswick Co., NC 13 Aug 2006 Common in the NC coastal plain (rare in the piedmont) in various moist/wet soils habitats (ditches, savannahs, etc.). | |
Orange Milkwort (Polygala lutea) Brunswick Co., NC 13 Aug 2006 |
Short Pinebarren Milkwort, Low Pinebarren Milkwort (P. ramosa) Brunswick Co., NC 13 Aug 2006 | |
Short Pinebarren Milkwort, Low Pinebarren Milkwort (P. ramosa) Brunswick Co., NC 13 Aug 2006 | |
Short Pinebarren Milkwort, Low Pinebarren Milkwort (P. ramosa) Brunswick Co., NC 13 Aug 2006 |
Crossleaf Milkwort, Southern Drumheads (Polygala cruciata) Harnett Co., NC 3 Sep 2006 Fairly common in wet pine savannas and other wet habitats in the NC coastal plain. | |
Crossleaf Milkwort, Southern Drumheads (Polygala cruciata) Craven Co., NC 27 Aug 2006 |
Hooker's Milkwort (Polygala hookeri) Craven Co., NC 27 Aug 2006 Rare in NC, Hooker's Milkwort grows in a few pine savannas. | |
Hooker's Milkwort (Polygala hookeri) Craven Co., NC 27 Aug 2006 | |
Hooker's Milkwort (Polygala hookeri) Pine savanna in Pender Co., NC 13 Sep 2009 | |
Hooker's Milkwort (Polygala hookeri) Pine savanna in Pender Co., NC 13 Sep 2009 Note whorled leaves. | |
Hooker's Milkwort (Polygala hookeri) Craven Co., NC 27 Aug 2006 |
Littleleaf Milkwort, Shortleaf Milkwort (Polygala brevifolia) Carteret Co., NC 27 Aug 2006 Another rare milkwort of the NC coastal plain pine savannas. | |
Littleleaf Milkwort, Shortleaf Milkwort (Polygala brevifolia) Carteret Co., NC 27 Aug 2006 | |
Littleleaf Milkwort, Shortleaf Milkwort (Polygala brevifolia) Carteret Co., NC 27 Aug 2006 Upper stem leaves may be alternate, but leaves of the principal nodes are whorled (see below). | |
Littleleaf Milkwort, Shortleaf Milkwort (Polygala brevifolia) McLean Savanna, Pender Co., NC 13 Sep 2009 Here's a different Littleleaf Milkwort population from the one above. Note short persistent bracts and a fairly long peduncle. | |
Littleleaf Milkwort, Shortleaf Milkwort (Polygala brevifolia) McLean Savanna, Pender Co., NC 13 Sep 2009 Wings (lateral petaloid sepals) are acute-short mucronate. | |
Littleleaf Milkwort, Shortleaf Milkwort (Polygala brevifolia) McLean Savanna, Pender Co., NC 13 Sep 2009 Leaves of the main nodes are whorled. |
Curtiss' Milkwort (Polygala curtissii) Orange Co., NC 21 Sep 2006 Statewide and common in NC, Curtiss' Milkwort grows in old fields and other similar habitats. Note the persistent bracts on the inflorescence. | |
Curtiss' Milkwort (Polygala curtissii) Orange Co., NC 21 Sep 2006 | |
Curtiss' Milkwort (Polygala curtissii) Orange Co., NC 21 Sep 2006 |
Purple Milkwort, Blood Milkwort, Field Milkwort (Polygala sanginea) Blue Ridge Pkwy, Alleghany Co., NC 24 Aug 2016 Statewide in NC and uncommon except in the mountains where a bit more common. Occurs in a variety of mostly moist habitats. | |
Purple Milkwort, Blood Milkwort, Field Milkwort (Polygala sanginea) Blue Ridge Pkwy, Alleghany Co., NC 24 Aug 2016 | |
Purple Milkwort, Blood Milkwort, Field Milkwort (Polygala sanginea) Blue Ridge Pkwy, Alleghany Co., NC 24 Aug 2016 |
Pink Milkwort, Processionflower (Polygala incarnata) Pine savanna in Pender Co., NC 13 Sep 2009 Fairly common in the eastern half of NC, Pink Milkwort grows in a variety of habitats. | |
Pink Milkwort, Processionflower (Polygala incarnata) Pine savanna in Pender Co., NC 13 Sep 2009 | |
Pink Milkwort, Processionflower (Polygala incarnata) Pine savanna in Pender Co., NC 13 Sep 2009 Stems and leaves are somewhat glaucous. |
Maryland Milkwort (Polygala mariana) Harnett Co., NC 3 Sep 2006 Fairly common in the NC coastal plain in wet savannas and other open habitats. | |
Maryland Milkwort (Polygala mariana) Harnett Co., NC 3 Sep 2006 |
Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Common names from personal experience and supplemented by the following resources USDA plants website, Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia, and NatureServe.
Created on ... Aug 25, 2006 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com