The genus
Polygala was first described by
Carl Linnaeus in 1754.
Phylogenetic studies showed that, as traditionally circumscribed, the genus was not
monophyletic. It had become a "
wastebasket taxon"; almost all species with a flower apparently similar to those of the
Papilionoideae – two petaloid lateral
sepals forming 'wings', two petals forming a 'standard', and one petal forming a 'keel', plus a bilocular fruit capsule – were placed in
Polygala, while species with more obviously specialized features, particularly those of the fruit, were placed in other genera. In 2011, John Richard Abbott separated some more sharply defined genera from
Polygala.
Species Partly because of differing circumscriptions, the reported number of valid species in the genus varies from about 350 to 500 or 730. The Americas have the most species, especially South America, '' ''
Former species •
Polygala acanthoclada =
Rhinotropis acanthoclada •
Polygala africana =
Senega africana •
Polygala alba =
Senega alba •
Polygala ambigua Nutt. =
Senega ambigua •
Polygala ambigua Torr. & A.Gray =
Senega nuttallii •
Polygala boykinii =
Senega boykinii •
Polygala californica =
Rhinotropis californica •
Polygala chamaebuxus =
Chamaebuxus alpestris •
Polygala cornuta =
Rhinotropis cornuta •
Polygala cruciata =
Senega cruciata •
Polygala curtissii =
Senega curtissii •
Polygala heterorhyncha =
Rhinotropis heterorhyncha •
Polygala incarnata Aubl. =
Senega adenophora •
Polygala incarnata L. =
Senega incarnata •
Polygala intermontana =
Rhinotropis intermontana •
Polygala lewtonii =
Senega lewtonii •
Polygala lutea =
Senega lutea •
Polygala macradenia =
Hebecarpa macradenia •
Polygala nana =
Senega nana •
Polygala paucifolia =
Chamaebuxus paucifolia •
Polygala poaya =
Senega poaya •
Polygala polygama =
Senega polygama •
Polygala pterolopha =
Monrosia pterolopha •
Polygala quitensis =
Senega quitensis •
Polygala rectipilis =
Hebecarpa rectipilis •
Polygala sanguinea L. =
Senega sanguinea •
Polygala sanguinea Nutt. =
Senega nuttallii •
Polygala senega =
Senega officinalis •
Polygala smallii =
Senega smallii •
Polygala subspinosa =
Rhinotropis subspinosa Hybrid Polygala × dalmaisiana (of garden origin) ==Ecology==