Polygalaceae
Polygala

Polygala acicularis Oliv.

First published in Fl. Trop. Afr. 1: 132 (1868)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is W. Tropical Africa to Uganda and NW. Angola. It is a subshrub or shrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Polygalaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Morphology General Habit
A low glabrous shrubby herb, to 3 ft. high, with stout rigid branches
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers 6–8 mm., whitish to blue-purple.
[FWTA]

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

Type
Type: Uganda, West Nile District: near Madi, Grant & Speke 132 (K!, holo.)
Morphology General Habit
Shrublet, rarely annual herb, 50–100 cm tall
Morphology Stem
Stems woody, erect, densely leafy, striate, glabrous
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, shortly petiolate (petiole 0.5–1 mm), linear to acicular, (10–)20–60 × 1–3 mm, mucronate, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers whitish to bluepurplish, in dense terminal racemes 10–15(–30) cm long; rachis glabrous; bracts linear, 2–3 mm long, caducous; bracteoles linear, up to 1 mm long, caducous; pedicels 1.2–1.5 mm, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Posterior sepal elliptic, 3 mm long, minutely ciliate; wing sepals elliptic, 6–9 × 2.5–4 mm, glabrous, early caducous; anterior sepals elliptic, 2.5 mm long, minutely ciliate, connate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Upper petals obovate, 6.5–8 × 3.5–4 mm; carina 5–7.5 × 3–4 mm; crest 2.5–3 mm long, fimbriate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 6 fertile and glabrous with 2 staminodes pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule elliptic in outline, 5–7 × 4 mm, deeply notched, very narrowly winged, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ellipsoid, 4–6 × 2–2.5 mm, with white, silky indumentum; caruncle symmetric, 1.5–2 mm long; appendages absent
Figures
Fig 10: 1, p 18
Ecology
Swampy grassland and bushland; 900–1200 m
Distribution
Range: Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, Sudan, CongoKinshasa, Angola Flora districts: U1 U3 U4
[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: not 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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical 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