Polygala incarnata
Species of flowering plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Polygala incarnata, commonly known as procession flower or pink milkwort, is a species of annual flower found in North America.[2]
| Polygala incarnata | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Polygalaceae |
| Genus: | Polygala |
| Species: | P. incarnata |
| Binomial name | |
| Polygala incarnata | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Description
Polygala incarnata may reach a height of up to 2 ft (60 cm).[3] The leaves are whorled or alternately arranged and are linear in shape. They range in length between 5 and 17 mm (0.20 and 0.67 in).[4]
Flowers occur in spikes or racemes, with small petals that are pink in color. The corolla tube is 5 to 6.5 mm (0.20 to 0.26 in) in length and prominently fringed. The seeds are black and range in length from 1 to 1.7 mm (0.04 to 0.07 in).[4]
P. incarnata flowers from spring into the late summer.[5]
Distribution and habitat
This species may be found throughout the eastern half of the United States into Ontario, Canada.[6] Its range within the United States stretches from New York south to Florida and westward to Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.[3] P. incarnata is also found in Mexico and Central America, as far south as Nicaragua.[5]
Within its range, P. incarnata can be found in habitat types such as prairies, woodlands, pine savannas, and glades.[3][7] It does best in dry, sandy soils with high levels of sun.[3]
