POLYGALAL. - MILKWORT
Scientific Description:
Annual or perennial sometimes suffrutescent herbs. Leaves simple, exstipulate, spirally arranged. Flowers bracteate and bibracteolate, in terminal or axillary racemes. Sepals 5, free, the 2 inner large and petaloid, the 3 outer smaller and sepaloid. Petals 3, ± united and adnate to the staminal tube. Stamens 8, monadelphous. Anthers opening by pores. Capsule 2-celled, compressed, usually winged. Seeds 1 in each loculus, pilose, arillate.
Reference:
Cullen J (1965). Polygala L., In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 1: 533.
Public Description:
Polygala, commonly known as “Milkwort” or “Snakeroot”, contains annual and perennial herbs, shrubs, vines, and trees. They are distributed widely throughout much of the world in temperate zones and the tropics. There are approximately 623 species in the world and 17 species (22 taxa) in Türkiye. Polygala names comes from the ancient Greek "much milk", as the plant was thought to increase milk yields in cattle. Some species are grown as culture plants. Milkwort species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species.
References:
Anonymous 1 (2016). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygala /,Accessed date: 07.04.2016.
Anonymous 2 (2016). http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Polygalaceae/Polygala// Accessed date: 07.04.2016.
Anonymous 3 (2016). https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org/search/?q=polygala / Accessed date: 07.04.2016.
Akyıldırım B (2012). Polygala L., In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (eds.), Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul, pp. 756–757.
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