Polygalaceae
Polygala

Polygala adamsonii Exell

First published in Bol. Soc. Brot., sér. 2, 31: 9 (1957)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Malawi to N. Mozambique. It is a subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/120962060/120980388

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Polygalaceae, A. W. Exell. Flora Zambesiaca 1:1. 1960

Morphology General Habit
Annual ?, up to 30–40 cm. tall, with very slender crisped-pubescent stems and branchlets.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 5–7 x 1.5–1.8 cm., linear-lanceolate, apex mucronate with a needle-like point, margins somewhat revolute, base truncate, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers bright pink, pedicels 3.5–4 mm. long, in very slender 1–5-flowered lateral racemes 15–20 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Posterior sepal 2.5 mm. long; wing sepals 5–6 x 4.5–5 mm., obliquely ovate, glabrous; anterior sepals 2 x 1.3 mm., free, ovate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Upper petals 4 x 1 mm., contortedly narrow-oblong, forked at the apex for nearly 2 mm.; carina 5 x 3 mm., minutely ciliolate on the proximal edge, crest 3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8, sheath minutely ciliate at the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style 5 mm. long, hooked at the upper end.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 5.5 x 5 mm., suborbicular in outline, glabrous, margin with a narrow wing 0.4 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 2.1 x 1.9 mm., subglobose, rather sparsely pubescent; caruncular appendages c. 0.6 mm. long.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • 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 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