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Asemeia grandiflora (Walter) Small
Showy Milkwort
Synonym(s): Asemeia violacea, Polygala grandiflora (Aubl.) J.F.B.Pastore & J.R.Abbott, Willd. ex A.W.Benn., 1874
Florida native
Common throughout Florida in sandhills, flatwoods and open hammocks, its range extends into the coastal southeastern states from North Carolina to Louisiana.
Showy milkwort is a perennial erect and branched herb growing up to 35cm (14 in.) tall. Stems are densely pubescent with alternate leaves. The leaves are elliptic, 1.8-2.7cm (7/10 to just over 1 in.) long and 8-11mm (~1/3 to less than 1/2 in.) wide, nearly glabrous on top and sparsely pubescent below. The inflorescence is a raceme 4-7cm (~1-1/2 to 2-3/4 in.) long. The flowers are violet with two roundish wings, a small two-lobed standard and a keel.
In 2012 this species was reclassified from the Polygala to the Asemeia genus. Subsequently the remaining North American Polygala species have been moved to the genus Senega {Pastore et al. (2023)}.
Some botanists {Bernardi (2000)} combine this species with A. violacea, found in the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Others { Pastore & Abbott (2012)} keep the southeastern US population as a separate species A. grandiflora.
Asemeia grandiflora is a member of the Polygalaceae - Milkwort family.
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
iNaturalist profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Aug 21, 2024
