15 cm ruler for scale

Erect plant, with alternate linear leaves, leaves to 4 cm in length. White flowers in spikes on each stem, spikes to 6 cm long. Budd's Flora lists this as found in the extreme southern border of the Canadian Prairies, we've found them growing around Estevan.

Rare, listed as an S3, by the Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre.

Height listed in the reference books to 30 cm, we measured plants to 27 cm tall.

This plant might be mistaken for Polygala senega which has a similar growth habit and inflorescence. However that plant has lanceolate leaves, whereas Polygala alba has linear leaves. Budd's Flora and Taxonomic Reminder for Recognizing Saskatchewan Plants also both list as a distinguishing characteristic the shape of the inflorescence - oblong for P. senega, cylindrical for P. alba. I haven't found this quite as helpful because I've seen oblong spikes on both plant species.

Photos taken June 19th and July 21st in the Souris River valley near Estevan, about 200 km SE of our home in Regina.

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