Spiny Milkwort-Polygala subspinosa

When I first spotted this little purple flower lying close to the ground, I thought, oh no, another Astragalus! (I've been seeing so many different-looking ones that my mind is swimming in Astragalus.) But no, when I got down closer, I saw that although at first glance the flowers might look like they're in the Pea Family, they are a bit different. And there are spines on the plant, something that clued me in that this was definitely different.

This plant is in the Milkwort Family (Polygalaceae), which although large worldwide, is rather restricted in North American deserts. It is Spiny Milkwort (Polygala subspinosa). "Polygala" is Greek for "many (much) milk"--although these plants aren't milky, some similar ones are credited by European farmers for increasing milk production in their cows. "Subspinosa" is latin for "almost spiny."

The flowers have 5 sepals, with the two lower ones looking like wings and being the largest. It has 3 petals that are fused at the base, and the lower petal resembles the keel of a boat. 

My finger is in the lower left of the above photo to give you some scale--you can also see the spines better. I found my first plant on a rocky slope on gravel under pinyon/juniper near Crystal Peak on 5-17-09.

A few days later I found one on a hillside with Artemisia nova.

For more information about spiny milkwort, click here.