Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs. Flowers zygomorphic, papilionaceous, in terminal or lateral racemes, rarely solitary. Sepals unequal, 5, the 3 outer ones usually sepaloid (see note below) and the 2 inner ones (wings) larger and petaloid. The sepals are either all free or the 2 anterior ones are united. Petals 3(-5), the lowest one (the keel) usually crested; two lateral ones usually vestigial or 0, and 2 upper ones joined at the base to the keel. Stamens 8 (rarely 4 or 5), sometimes only 6 fertile with 2 staminodes. Ovary 2-locular. Fruit a flattened, capsule. Seeds 2, usually with a caruncle and with sericeous indumentum.  Of the three outer, sepaloid sepals, two are anterior and one posterior. It is helpful to examine these plants when fresh and to note whether the anterior sepals are free or united. If they are united, note also if there are 8 fertile stamens or 6 fertile and 2 staminodes.

Polygala L.:
Brazil (South America)
Honduras (Mesoamerica)
United States (North America)
Colombia (South America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
                                        

Specimen Records:	100	Public Records:	21
Specimens with Sequences:	121	Public Species:	7
Specimens with Barcodes:	105	Public BINs:	0
Species:	33
Species With Barcodes:	27

Access Published & Released Data: Download FASTA File

Collection Sites: world map showing specimen collection locations for Polygala