Question: I found this small woodland flowering plant while walking along our village hiking trail, May 25th, in southern Vermont. At …
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Question
I found this small woodland flowering plant while walking along our village hiking trail, May 25th, in southern Vermont. At first I thought it was a violet, but clearly not. Is it something related to an orchid?
Answer
Dear janabryan, good morning. You have photographed Polygaloides paucifolia (fringed false milkwort), a native member of the milkwort family. If you look this species up in many references, it will be listed under the genus Polygala, but recent phylogenetic work shows it to be a separate lineage. Best wishes.
