Senega sanguinea (Field Milkwort) at Drover’s Prairie on 6-22-26, #1099-133.

This page is still under construction. It will be finished on 8-12-26…

Field Milkwort

Senega sanguinea

Syn. Polygala sanguinea

SEH-neh-gah  san-GWIN-ee-a

Synonyms of Senega sanguinea (11) (Updated on 8-11-26 from Plants of the World Online: Polygala nuttalliana F.Dietr. (1837), Polygala purpurea Nutt. (1818) (nom. illeg. homonym. post.), Polygala sanguinea L. (1753), Polygala sanguinea f. albescens Farw. (1928), Polygala sanguinea f. albiflora Millsp. (1896), Polygala sanguinea f. typica Farw. (1928) (not validly publ.), Polygala sanguinea f. viridescens (L.) Farw. (1928), Polygala viridescens L. (1753), Polygala viridescens f. albiflora Wheelock (1891), Polygala viridescens f. albiflora House (1923) (nom. illeg. homonym. post.), Polygala viridescens var. sanguinea (L.) Farw. (1900)

Senega sanguinea (L.) J.F.B Pastore & J.R.Abbott is the accepted scientific name for this species of Senega. It was named and described as such by José Floriano Barêa Pastore and J. Richard Abbott in the Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden in 2023. It was first named Polygala sanguinea by Carl von Linnaeus in the second volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.

The genus, Senega (DC.) Spach, was named and described as such by Édouard Spach in Histoire Naturelle des Végétaux in 1838.

As of 8-11-26 when this page was first published, Plants of the World Online lists 238 species in the Senega genus. It is a member of the plant family Polygalaceae with 30 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

Distribution map of Senega sanguinea from Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/. Retrieved on August 11, 2026.

The above distribution map for Senega sanguinea is from Plants of the World Online. Areas in green are where the species is native. The map on the USDA Plants Database for Polygala sanguinea is similar. No map is perfect, but they do give a general idea. 

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations. I post all my observations on iNaturalist.

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND TO HELP WITH A POSITIVE ID.

Senega sanguinea (Field Milkwort) at Drover’s Prairie on 6-22-26, #1099-134.

Until May 4 in 2025, I had been identifying wildflowers on the family farm, a friends farm and woods, along back roads and highways, etc. Then, on May 4 in 2025, a friend invited me to visit a private native prairie. It was incredible and I photographed 11 new to me species! We went back again on 4-19-26. I took friends on May 3, and there wasn’t much to see then. Then, on June 8 in 2026, he took me to the Lordi Marker Prairie then to Drover’s Prairie where I photographed 19 species, 10 new to me. On 6-22-26, I took my son, and we went to the Friendly Prairie for the first time, then on to the Lordi Marker and Drover’s Prairie. I photographed 22 species at the Friendly Prairie, 6 species at Lordi Marker Prairie, and 17 species at Drover’s Prairie. 11 more new to me. I went back to the Friendly and Drover’s Prairies on July 28 and photographed 12 species with 2 being new-to-me.

I ran across this species at Drover’s Prairie on 6-22-26 while searching for wildflowers. I stumbled on a few small colonies and, while the flowers did look kind of familiar, I didn’t know the species. I took a few photos and when I came home I saved the best. I uploaded the first one to the iNaturalist drag-and-drop feature (you have to be logged in) and the first suggestion was Senega sanguinea. I then cross-referenced the species on the Missouri Plants website and found nothing. Then I found out the former name was Polygala sanguinea, which I did find on the website. Again, iNaturalist was correct…

Senega sanguinea (Field Milkwort) at Drover’s Prairie on 6-22-26, #1099-135.

I will come back later and write descriptions, I just wanted to go ahead and get the photos online. There are several links at the bottom of the page with a lot of good information and great descriptions…

I live on the family farm in Windsor, Missouri in Pettis County (Henry County is across the street, and Benton and Johnson aren’t far away). I have grown over 500 different plants and identified over 250 species of wildflowers (most have pages listed on the right side of the page). I am not an expert, botanist, or horticulturalist. I just like growing, photographing, and writing about my experience. I rely on several websites for ID and a few horticulturalists I contact if I cannot figure them out. Wildflowers can be variable from location to location, so that can be a bit confusing. If you see I have made an error, please let me know so I can correct what I have written.

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and they have provided much more information. Some sites may not be up-to-date but they are always a work in progress. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. I would enjoy hearing from you especially if you notice something is a bit whacky.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF MISSOURI (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
USDA PLANT GUIDE
iNATURALIST
U.S. FOREST SERVICE
MISSOURI PLANTS
MIDWEST WEEDS AND WILDFLOWERS
MISSOURI WEED ID GUIDE
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
ARKANSAS NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY
BURKE HERBARIUM
DAVE’S GARDEN
FLORA FINDER
FLORIDA WILDFLOWER FOUNDATION
FRIENDS OF THE WILDFLOWER GARDEN
GO BOTANY
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
IOWA PLANTS
KANSAS NATIVE PLANTS
KANSAS WILDFLOWERS AND GRASSES
LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER
LAKE FOREST COLLEGE
MARYLAND BIODIVERSITY PROJECT
MINNESOTA WILDFLOWERS
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
PFAF (PLANTS FOR A FUTURE)
SEINet
U.S. WILDFLOWERS
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and even many thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and it can be hard to keep with as well. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant databases and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂