Senega officinalis

Senega officinalis

Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Polygalaceae
Genus: Senega
Species:
S. officinalis
Binomial name
Senega officinalis
Spach
Synonyms
List
  • Polygala senega L.
  • Polygala albida Steud.
  • Polygala lonchophylla Greene
  • Polygala rosea Steud.
  • Polygala seneka Hill

Senega officinalis is a species of flowering plant in the milkwort family, Polygalaceae. It is native to North America, where it is found in southern Canada and the central and eastern United States. Its common names include Seneca snakeroot, senega snakeroot, senegaroot, rattlesnake root, and mountain flax. Its genus name honors the Seneca people, a Native American group who used the plant to treat snakebite.