Species Detail Forb

Fiower		Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants Polygala scoparioides - broom milkwort Plant Form: Forb or Subshrub Family: Polygalaceae
Fiower


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Flower heads Patrick Alexander @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)	Leaves Patrick Alexander @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)	Plant Patrick Alexander @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)

Forb Plant Description

Origin: Native Life Cycle: Perennial
General Desc: The plants are broom-like.
Identification notes: Stems with fine short hairs. Capsule narrowly winged. Flowers white or whitish; keel petal with a conspicuous, fringed crest.
Height: To 1 foot

Habitat

Habitat Description: This wildflower grows on rocky flats and slopes in desert grasslands and mountain foothills.
Plant Communities: Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands, Pinyon Juniper Woodland
Elevation: 3500 - 5000 feet

Flower Characteristics

Color: Greenish-white, purplish Shape: Irregular in elongated clusters Tubular: Y Flowering Period: Mar - Oct
Description: The small flowers are in narrow, spike-like clusters. The individual flowers have 2 solid white or green- to purple-striped wings (petal-like lateral sepals), a dorsally-cleft floral tube composed of 3 fused petals, and a keel with a fringed crest.

Leaf and Stem Characteristics

Leaf Color: Green Leaf Type: Simple Leaf Shape: Narrow Leaf Margin: Smooth Leaf Attachment: Alternate Leaves Clasp: N
Hairs: Leaves and stems Spines: N
Leaf Description: The many leaves are small, 1-1/4 to 4 inches long and less than 1/3 inch wide, linear to needle-like in shape with a pointed tip. The numerous slender green stems are 2 to 8 inches tall and covered with fine hairs.

Fruit and Seed Characteristics

Fruit Type: Capsule
Seed Notes: The flowers are followed by oblong, 2-celled, 2-seeded, thin-walled seed capsules with a single narrow wing on the top side.


	Arizona Cooperative Extension Yavapai County 840 Rodeo Dr #C Prescott, AZ 86305 (928) 445-6590	Version 8.0 http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailForb.php Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022 Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson Legal Disclaimer