Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Polygala calcarea

Family

Polygalaceae

Flowering season

April to June

English distribution

It is found mainly in the South and the Southeast.

See the BSBI distribution map for Chalk Milkwort

Habitat

It grows in close-grazed grassland on chalk and limestone.

Description

Chalk Milkwort is a native, perennial, patch-forming,

low herb, growing up to 20cm.

The small flowers (6-7mm) are deep blue, pink or white, in

short spikes. The flowers appear earlier and are slightly

larger than in Common Milkwort and larger than in 

Heath Milkwort.

Individual flowers have a corollary tube made up of 3 fused

petals. The 2 upper petals are entire and the lower petal is 

divided into white lobules.

The corollary tube contains 8 stamens and a single style

which are difficult to see.

There are 5 coloured sepals - 2 large inner and 3 smaller

outer. The larger sepals are veined, but the veins are less 

connected up than in Common Milkwort or Heath Milkwort.

The leaves are sometimes in an irregular rosette - as

shown in the first picture.

Leaves are dark green, slightly fleshy and ribbed.

Lower leaves are blunter than in Common Milkwort.