Polygalaceae

Myrtle-leaf milkwort

Polygala myrtifolia L.

Family: Polygalaceae
Genus: Polygala

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Myrtle-leaf milkwort (Polygala myrtifolia) — FlowerPhoto: Dave Richardson, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (8)

Afrikaans: Septemberbossie
Arabic: مغزرة آسية الورق
arz: مغزره آسية الورق
Bangla: পলিগালা মারটিফোলিয়া
Chinese: 桃金娘叶远志
English: Myrtle-leaf milkwort
French: Polygale à feuilles de myrthe
Greek: Μυρτόφυλλο πολύγαλα

Synonyms

Polygala amoena Thunb.
Polygala clutioides Burch. ex DC.
Polygala ligularis Ker Gawl.
Polygala linkiana Sweet
Polygala pinifolia Poir.
Psychanthus myrtifolius (L.) Spach
Psychanthus myrtifolius (L.) Raf.

Flowers

In flower: January to November (from 800 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Shrub
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: introduced

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Dave Richardson, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Michael Bakker Paiva, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Nicola van Berkel, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: SAplants, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Sixolile Faith, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Paul venter, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Sophie Imberti, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Paul venter, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Lungisani Giba, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Tony Rebelo, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Dr. Alexey Yakovlev, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: aurylaroche, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF

More in Polygala

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.