Taxonomy
Family: Polygalaceae
Habitat
Rich woods. Seems to prefer acid soil.
Associates
Distribution
Quebec and New Brunswick to Saskatchewan, south to CT, NY, WI, and to GA at higher elevations.
Morphology
Perennial from slender rhizomes and small tubers, 8-15 cm. Some lower leaves scale-like, the upper ones 3-6, elliptic to oval, 1.5-4 cm. Flowers 1-4, on long pedicels from a very short, terminal peduncle, magenta-purple to white; sepals 5, the outer 3 small, the 2 inner (wings) much larger and resembling petals; petals 3, united, the upper two similar, the lower one with a fringe-like crest; corolla about equal to the wings; stamens 6; stigma slightly bilobed; ovary bilocular; seed with a 3-lobed aril. A few cleistogamous flowers produced near the base of the plant.
Notes
Flowers May or June
Wetland indicator: Facultative Upland
Also called Flowering Wintergreen or Gaywings. Very rare in the Chicago region, with only a localized population extant on high dunes in northwest IN.
References
Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY
Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.
Michael Hough © 2009 |