Polygalaceae
Polygala

Polygala humifusa Paiva

First published in Fontqueria 50: 174 (1998)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SW. Tanzania. It is an annual and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Polygalaceae, Jorge Paiva. Flora of Tropical East Africa, 2007

Type
Type: Tanzania, Njombe District: Elton (Kitulo) Plateau, Ndumbi R., Richards 7697 (K!, holo.; COI!, iso.)
Morphology General Habit
Annual creeping herb up to 7 cm tall
Morphology Stem
Stems slender, branched towards the base, crisped-pubescent
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, petiolate, suborbicular to broadly elliptic, 3.5–6 × 3–4.5 mm, undulate on the margin, rounded at the apex and base, glabrous; petiole 0.5–0.8 mm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers lilac, in 2–5-flowered lateral racemes up to 1.5 cm long, rachis crisped-pubescent, rarely solitary; bracts ovate-lanceolate, 0.7–1 mm long, persistent; bracteoles linear, 0.5 mm long, persistent; pedicels 1.5–2 mm, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Posterior sepal ovate-lanceolate, 1.7–2 × 0.8–1 mm, glabrous; wing sepals obovateelliptic, 3.5–4 × 1.7–2 mm, margin undulate, glabrous; anterior sepals ellipticlanceolate, 1.5 × 0.7 mm, glabrous, free
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Upper petals obovate, 3–3.5 × 1 mm; carina 3 × 1.5 mm; crest fimbriate, 0.7–1 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule elliptic-obovate in outline, 2.5 × 1.7–2 mm, narrowly winged (wing ± 0.2 mm wide)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ellipsoid, 1.5 × 0.7 mm, sericeous, caruncle 0.2 mm long, without appendages
Figures
Fig 4: 7, p 10 & Fig 12, p 27.
Ecology
Swampy wet ground, peaty soil; 2250 m
Distribution
Flora districts: T7 only known from the type
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0