2. P. polýgama, Walt. Stems numerous from the biennial root, mostly simple, ascending, very leafy (6–9´ high); leaves oblanceolate or oblong; terminal raceme loosely many-flowered, the broadly obovate wings longer than the keel; stamens 8; radical flowers racemed on short subterranean runners; lobes of the caruncle 2, scale-like, shorter than the seed.—Dry sandy soil; common. July.
[+][+] Flowers white, in a solitary close spike; none cleistogamous.
3. P. Sénega, L. (Seneca Snakeroot.) Stems several from thick and hard knotty rootstocks, simple (6–12´ high); leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, with rough margins; wings round-obovate, concave; crest short; caruncle nearly as long as the seed.—Rocky soil, W. New Eng. to Minn., and southward. May, June.
Var. latifòlia, Torr. & Gray. Taller, sometimes branched; leaves ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 2–4´ long, tapering to each end.—Md. to Mich. and Ky.
4. P. álba, Nutt. Stems several from a hard rootstock, 1° high; leaves narrowly linear, 3–12´´ long, acute; wings oblong-obovate; crest small; lobes of the caruncle half the length of the appressed-silky seed.—Neb. and Kan. to Tex.
[*][*] Annuals, with all the leaves alternate; flowers in terminal spikes, heads or racemes, purple or rose-color, in summer; none subterranean.
[+] Keel conspicuously crested; claws of the true petals united into a long and slender cleft tube much surpassing the wings.
5. P. incarnàta, L. Glaucous; stem slender, sparingly branched; leaves minute and linear-awl-shaped; spike cylindrical; flowers flesh-color; caruncle longer than the narrow stalk of the hairy seed.—Dry soil, Penn. to Wisc., Iowa, Neb., and southward; rather rare.
[+][+] Keel minutely or inconspicuously crested; the true petals not longer but mostly shorter than the wings; seed pear-shaped.
6. P. sanguínea, L. Stem sparingly branched above, leafy to the top; leaves oblong-linear; heads globular, at length oblong, very dense (4–5´´ thick), bright red-purple (rarely paler or even white); pedicels scarcely any; wings broadly ovate, closely sessile, longer than the pod; the 2-parted caruncle almost equalling the seed.—Sandy and moist ground; common.