Polygala lutea L.

Orange Milkwort; Candyweed; Bog Bachelor's Button

Herb

Biennial

Vascular

Orange Milkwort is an herbaceous annual or biennial in the Milkwort family (Polygalaceae). It is found in the southern half of Alabama. Orange Milkwort occurs in moist pine or hardwood forests, in bogs, in roadside ditches, and in seeps. It is an annual or biennial with a tap root. There are one to several stems from each base. The stems are from 4-6 inches in length, and may be branched in the upper half. The stems are erect to ascending, green in color, and glabrous. Leaves are basal and cauline. The basal leaves from an irregular rosette that may not be present at flowering. Stem leaves are alternate, obovate to spatulate in outline, glabrous, and entire. The leaves are almost succulent to the touch. Flowers are produced in dense terminal head-like racemes. An alternative common name for this species is “Bog Cheetos”. The individual flowers have 3 small sepals and two larger petal-like sepals (wings) that are bright orange in color. The 3 petals are united into a tube with a crest of 4 lobes. The fruit is a capsule. The seed have an elaiosome (fleshy often oily appendage) that is an adaptation for ant dispersal of the seed. The species name for this plant (lutea) means yellow. This may seem odd for a plant with bright orange flowers. However, the flowers turn yellow when dried and Linnaeus described the species from dried pressed material. Orange Milkwort is rarely offered for sale by nurseries that specialize in bog plants. It requires a wet acidic soil and full sun.--A. Diamond

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Native

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