Polygala amarella (or P. amara), commonly known as dwarf milkwort or Kentish milkwort,[1] is a plant of the family Polygalaceae. A European native, it grows on chalky grass land and limestone mountain pastures.
| Dwarf milkwort | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Polygalaceae |
| Genus: | Polygala |
| Species: | P. amarella
|
| Binomial name | |
| Polygala amarella | |
Description
editThe plant typically grows up to 20 cm tall and has small, blue-purple flowers that bloom from May to August. The leaves are alternate, narrow, and smooth-edged, and the stems are slender and wiry.
Uses
editPolygala amarella has traditionally been used in herbal medicine.[2]
In media
editIn 2009 it featured on a first class Royal Mail stamp in the series "Endangered Plants".[3]
References
edit- ^ "Magpie Bottom citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
- ^ Blaschek, W.; Hänsel, R.; Keller, K.; Reichling, J.; Rimpler, H.; Schneider, G., eds. (1998). "Hagers Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis". doi:10.1007/978-3-642-58928-7.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Plants (Action for Species) Archived 2011-06-08 at the Wayback Machine
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