Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fabales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Polygala nana
FAMILY
Polygalaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more about Dwarf Milkwort from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
The root has a sweet licorice flavor. Read more on Jim Fowler's blog.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Polygala nana
FAMILY
Polygalaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 106-01-015:
Polygala nana FAMILY Polygalaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Pilostaxis nana
COMMON NAME:
Dwarf Milkwort, Candyroot
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_pona2_001_lvd
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Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_p_nana_al_5_25_05_1
May
Inflorescence a dense pom-pom-like raceme, terminating leafy branches, per Weakley's Flora (2012).
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Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_p_nana_dwarf_2
August
Leaves typically in a basal rosette, spatulate; stem leaves smaller & few, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Polygala nana
FAMILY
Polygalaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Polygala nana
FAMILY
Polygalaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 106-01-015:
Polygala nana
FAMILY
Polygalaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Pilostaxis nana
3050
Forb
Annual
Habitat: Longleaf pine flatwoods, other open moist areas, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in GA Coastal Plain (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC) (historically in NC, but not recently seen)
Click here to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
LEAVES:
Simple
Mostly basal rosette with a few alternate stem leaves
FLOWER:
Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall
Lemon yellow
Bisexual
Bilaterally symmetrical
5 sepals (three small, two larger petaloid "wings")
3 petals united into a tube
6 stamens united to corolla tube in 2 rows
FRUIT:
Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p240
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p222
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p043
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p288
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p163
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p199
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011) p191