Chamaebuxus alpestris, synonyms including Polygaloides chamaebuxus, Polygala chamaebuxus, the shrubby milkwort, is an ornamental plant in the family Polygalaceae.
Description
Its flowers are solitary or in pairs in the leaf axils. The inner two sepals, the wings, are upright and white to yellow, sometimes pinkish or purple. The keel petals are bright yellow, aging to brownish-red or purple. ==Taxonomy==
Taxonomy
The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 as Polygala chamaebuxus. In 2011, John Richard Abbott divided up part of the genus Polygala into more sharply defined genera. He placed P. chamaebuxus in Polygaloides as Polygaloides chamaebuxus, a species name first published in 1949. As the combination of an identical genus name and specific epithet is not allowed by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, an older name, Chamaebuxus alpestris, published by Édouard Spach in 1838 was used. , the name appears in the International Plant Names Index but was not updated yet in Plants of the World Online. ==Distribution==
Distribution
It is native to the Alps and the mountains of west-central and southern Europe. ==Cultivation==
Cultivation
It was known to be grown in cultivation in about 1658 and was illustrated by Carolus Clusius. Several cultivars are also cultivated for garden use, including 'Grandiflora', whose flowers are purple-red and yellow. The plants are hardy, forming low-lying clumps up to high and in diameter. They may be propagated from softwood cuttings taken in early in the growing season. Some varieties grow best in ericaceous conditions. ==References==