Caryophyllaceae
Polycarpaea

Polycarpaea grahamii Turrill

First published in Kew Bull. 9: 503 (1954)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is E. Kenya. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/158381/774581

Conservation
EN - endangered
[IUCN]

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]

Caryophyllaceae, W. B. Turrill. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1956

Morphology General Habit
An annual herb branched from the base, 20–30 cm. tall, internodes covered with a hirsute indumentum of more or less curled hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite; basal leaves absent in the flowering specimens examined; cauline leaves narrowly oblanceolate, rounded at the apex, gradually narrowed at the base, 4–10 mm. long, 1.5–2.5 mm. broad, nerves quite inconspicuous, hispid on the abaxial and somewhat hirsute to glabrescent on the adaxial surface; stipules narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, scarious, 2–3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal, of many flowered cymes which are more or less congested with usually single pedicelled flowers between the main branches.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers silvery white.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals lanceolate, acute or shortly acuminate, 3.5 mm. long, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 2 mm. long, at the apex irregularly dentate or emarginate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 5, 1.75 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary with 18–20 ovules; style 0.75 mm. long.
Habitat
Sandy places in bushland near the shore
Distribution
endemic to eastern Kenya K7
[FTEA]

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/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. 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 2024. 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