Glandular milkwort

Viola punctata Humboldt & Bonpland ex Willdenow in J. J. Roemer et al., Syst. Veg. 5: 391. 1819; Hebecarpa greggii (S. Watson) J. R. Abbott; Polygala greggii S. Watson

Herbs or subshrubs, 0.5–2 dm. Stems prostrate to decumbent, hairs incurved. Leaves: blade usually obovate, rarely suborbiculate to broadly elliptic, 4–10 × 1–6 mm, base cuneate to rounded, apex rounded to subtruncate and mucronate, surfaces densely translucent-punctate from internal cavities appearing as pustular glands 0.2–0.4 mm diam., hairs incurved. Inflorescences axillary, reduced to 1 or 2 flowers, 0.3–0.4 × 0.6–0.8 cm; peduncle 0 cm; bracts ovate. Pedicels 0.5–1 mm, pubescent. Flowers purple, 3–4 mm; sepals with upper one sometimes tardily decid­uous to subpersistent, oblong-ovate, 1.2–1.5 mm; wings spatulate-obovate, 3.5–4.5 × 1.5–2 mm, pubescent; keel 2.5(–4.5) mm, pubescent. Capsules ellipsoid, 1.5–3 × 2 mm, densely translucent-punctate from internal cavities appearing as pustular glands 0.2–0.4 mm diam., sparsely pubescent. Seeds 2.8–3 × 0.6–0.8 mm; aril 0.9–1.2 mm, lobes to 1/4 length of seed.

Flowering spring–summer. Gravelly hills in scrub, chalky hills; 0–100 m; Tex.; Mexico (Nuevo León, Querétaro, Tamaulipas).

In the flora area, Hebecarpa punctata occurs in Duval, Hidalgo, Jim Wells, San Patricio, Starr, Webb, and Zapata counties. It is a common species in the southern Texas brushlands.

Polygala glandulosa Kunth is an illegitimate name that has been used in Texas for decades for Hebecarpa punctata and is in several on-line databases.

S. F. Blake (1924) reported the wings as 7.5 × 3.7 mm; none approaching that size was seen.