Polygala vulgaris

Ascending to weakly erect, glabrous or glabrescent, perennial rhizomatous herb to c. 40 cm high. Leaves lanceolate, 8–30 mm long, 2–6 mm wide. Flowers mauve-blue, in terminal racemes 2–12 cm long; bracts lanceolate, c. 2 mm long, bracteoles ovate, c. 1 mm long, purplish, soon deciduous; pedicels 1–2 mm long; sepals free, the upper and lower ones narrow-ovate, 2–3 mm long, wings obovate, 5–7 mm long, 2–4.5 mm wide in fruit, 3–5-nerved with connecting lateral nerves; corolla c. 7 mm long, shortly exceeding sepals at anthesis, keel appendages c. 2 mm long, lateral petals entire, slightly longer than keel. Capsule obcordate, subequal to but usually slightly broader than sepals; seed silky, 2–2.5 mm long, with aril c. 1 mm long. Flowers Sep.–Feb.