''Polygaloides paucifolia'',

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

''Polygala paucifolia'', known as gaywings or fringed polygala, is a perennial plant of the family Polygalaceae. Mature plants are 3 to 6 inches tall. Stems are smooth, slender and green. Leaves are clustered at the top, appearing to be whorled, but they are not. Leaflets are oblong to lanceolate—narrow at the base with a pointed tip. Leaves have an entire margin and are thin. Flowers are pink and white, blooming in April and May. It grows in rich, moist woods. The species was first described, as ''Polygala paucifolia'', by

Carl Ludwig Willdenow Carl Ludwig Willdenow (22 August 1765 – 10 July 1812) was a German botanist, pharmacist, and plant taxonomist. He is considered one of the founders of phytogeography, the study of the geographic distribution of plants. Willdenow was als ...

in 1802. In 2011, John Richard Abbott divided up part of the genus '' Polygala'' into more sharply defined genera. He placed ''P. paucifolia'' in '' Polygaloides'' as ''Polygaloides paucifolia''.

References

External links

Connecticut Botanical Society: ''Polygala paucifolia''
Polygalaceae Flora of Northern America {{Polygalaceae-stub