Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Subshrub

General: Suffrutescent perennial with numerous erect or ascending, stiff, crowded stems 3-25 cm long from a woody root; stems densely leafy, flexuous, densely canescent-puberulent.

Leaves: Oblong-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 0.5-1.5 mm wide, 2-7 mm long, acute to obtuse at apex, rounded or obtuse at base, thick, densely canescent-puberulent and gland-dotted.

Flowers: In 1-2 upper axils, purplish; sepals ovate-oblong, obtuse, about 2 mm long, puberulent and gland dotted like leaves; wings obovate, about 2.5 mm wide, 5-5.5 mm long, cuneate at base, rounded at apex, sparsely puberulent on back, ciliate, purple; keel about 4.5 mm long.

Fruits: Capsule oblong-ovate, canescently puberulent and gland-dotted, 5-6 mm long.

Ecology: Found on dry rocky slopes from 1,500-4,500 ft (457-1372 m); flowers April-July.

Distribution: w TX to s AZ and n MEX

Notes: This species is distinguished by the conspicuous glands that dot the leaves and capsules, it is also the most suffrutescent of the Polygala.

Ethnobotany: Unknown, but other species in the genera have medicinal uses.

Etymology: Polygala is from Greek polys, many or much, and gala, milk, while macradenia means with large glands.

Synonyms: None

Editor: SBuckley, 2010