Common milkwort (Polygala vulgaris) grows on heaths, grasslands and dunes. It has the unusual feature of having four possible flower colours, namely white, blue, mauve or pink. This has given rise to its alternative name (in Ireland) of “four sisters”. Its more common name arises from the fact that medieval herbalists used infusions of it to increase the flow of milk in nursing mothers.
Common milkwort is a small plant, growing up to 4 inches (10 centimetres) in height. The stems have many branches and are woody at the base. The leaves grow on alternate sides up each stem.
The flowers of the common milkwort are unusual and attractive. Each one has five sepals, three of which are green and small but the other two are coloured and much larger. The eight stamens link together to form a tube which only just protrudes beyond the coloured sepals. One petal is much larger than the others, which are very small and are joined to the stamen tube. The larger petal is on the underside of the flower and has a fringe. The flowers appear from May to September.
The fruit of the common milkwort is flat and transparent.
© John Welford
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