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Senega cruciata (Linnaeus)
Drumheads
Cross-leaved Milkwort
Synonym(s): Polygala cruciata L.
Florida native
A plant of bogs & wet flatwoods in much of Florida and throughout most of the southeastern United States west to Texas and Oklahoma, north into Kentucky and up the Atlantic coast into New Jersey.
Growing up to 30.5cm (1 ft.) tall with glabrous three-angled stems with leaves in whorls of three or four. Upper leaves are narrow and hte lower leaves are spatulate. The terminal racemes are sessile or on a peduncle of less than 1cm (3/8 in.) in length. Flowers are rose-purple to greenish with 3-4mm (~1/8 in.) long lateral sepals that are deltoid with the apex abruptly narrowed to a cuspidate tip.
Senega cruciata is a member of the Polygalaceae - Milkwort family.
Other species of the Senega genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Senega boykinii - BOYKIN'S MILKWORT
Senega incarnata - PROCESSION FLOWER
Senega lewtonii - LEWTON'S MILKWORT
Senega lutea - ORANGE MILKWORT
Senega nana - CANDYROOT
Senega rugelii - YELLOW MILKWORT
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 22, 2024
