Asemeia grandiflora, commonly known as showy milkwort, is a species of perennial flower found in North America. Previously known as Polygala grandiflora, the name of this species was changed to the currently-used Asemeia grandiflora in 2012.
Description A. grandiflora is an herb that reaches between in height. The species' leaves are alternately arranged and oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate in shape, reaching a length between and a width between . They are pubescent underneath, most notably on the veins.
The racemes range in length from . The wings either side of the flower are pink in color and in length. The flower itself is similar in color but smaller in size. A. grandiflora's sepals are in length and green in color. The seeds are approximately long and black in color. A. grandiflora tends to bloom during the summer months and fruits shortly thereafter.
Taxonomy Asemeia grandiflora was scientifically named Polygala grandiflora by the botanist Thomas Walter in 1788. It was moved to the genus Asemeia by John Kunkel Small in 1933, giving the species its accepted name. At the time this move was not widely accepted by botanists, but genetic research in the 2000s showed that Asemeia to be a distinct group and the name was revived in a paper in 2012. Asemeia grandiflora has no accepted varieties, but has synonyms including seven varieties and 22 species names.
Table of Synonyms Name Year Rank Notes Asemeia carnea 1838 species = het. Asemeia cumulicola 1933 species = het. Asemeia leiodes 1933 species = het. Asemeia miamiensis 1933 species = het. Asemeia rosea 1838 species = het., nom. superfl. Badiera berteroana 1826 species = het. Polygala ambigens 1923 species = het. Polygala americana 1856 species = het., nom. illeg. Polygala bahamensis 1916 species = het. Polygala collina 1905 species = het. Polygala corallicola 1905 species = het. Polygala cubensis 1893 species = het. Polygala cumulicola 1924 species = het. Polygala domingensis 1826 species = het., not validly publ. Polygala flabellata 1893 species = het. Polygala grandiflora 1788 species ≡ hom. Polygala grandiflora var. angustifolia 1840 variety = het. Polygala grandiflora var. canescens 1852 variety = het. Polygala grandiflora subsp. krugii 1981 subspecies = het. Polygala grandiflora var. leiodes 1924 variety = het. Polygala grandiflora var. leptophylla 1893 variety = het. Polygala grandiflora var. orbicularis 1893 variety = het. Polygala grandiflora var. pubescens 1893 variety = het., nom. superfl. Polygala krugii 1893 species = het. Polygala miamiensis 1924 species = het. Polygala muhlenbergii 1831 species = het. Polygala pubescens 1818 species = het., nom. illeg. Polygala senega var. rosea 1803 variety = het. Polygala versicolor 1841 species = het., not validly publ. Polygala wrightii 1893 species = het. Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym
Distribution and habitat This species is native to the southeastern region of the United States of America. Its range encompasses North Carolina south to Florida and westward to Louisiana.
Within this range it may be found in habitats such as longleaf pine sandhills, savannas, and calcareous glades. They are commonly found in mesic environments and areas with dry, sandy soils.
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