Caryophyllaceae
Polycarpaea

Polycarpaea spicata Wight ex Arn.

First published in Ann. Nat. Hist. 3: 91 (1839)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Egypt to Kenya and Arabian Peninsula, S. Iran to Indian Subcontinent. It is an annual and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Annual or short-lived perennial herb up to 10 cm high, branching mainly from base, stems often absent or with only 1–2 internodes; glabrous throughout
Morphology Leaves
Leaves in dense whorls, sessile, obovate-spathulate to oblanceolate, 5–28 x 2–8 mm, base cuneate, tip rounded or acute, apparently fleshy
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes long-pedunculate, dense, up to 1 cm long; branches scorpioid, often cone-like; bracts closely appressed, overlapping, pale with well defined brown central stripe, sometimes with obscure fleshy keel
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers sessile; sepals lanceolate, c. 4 mm long, bract-like
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals oblong-oblanceolate, about a third as long as sepals, white, margin lacerate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3(–5)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style c. 1 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule ovoid, c. two thirds as long as sepals, very thin-walled, valves apparently opening at tip only, without thick margins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds numerous, ovoid, shiny, c. 0.4 mm long.
Distribution
N2, 3; C1 Eritrea, Red Sea coasts, Kenya, east to Australia.
Ecology
Near sea shore to 300 m.
[FSOM]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/44827/10951866

Conservation
LC - least concern
[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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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