Polygalaceae
Polygala

Polygala baumii Gürke

First published in O.Warburg (ed.), Kunene-Sambesi Exped.: 276 (1903)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Angola to Zambia. It is a subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Shrublet up to 30–40 cm. tall of ericoid appearance with glabrous, slightly winged stems.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 8–15 x 0.5–2 mm., linear to very narrowly oblanceolate, glabrous, apex often uncinate, margin usually incurved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers greenish or yellowish with blue crest, pedicels up to 3 mm. long, in dense, subcapitate, lateral racemes about 2 cm. in diam., with glabrous rhachis, bracts 1.5–2 mm. long and bracteoles 1 mm. long, persistent for a time then caducous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Posterior sepal 3–3.5 mm. long; wing sepals 7–10 x 5–5.5 mm., obliquely ovate-elliptic, ciliolate on the margin; anterior sepals 2.5–3 mm. long, connate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Upper petals 4 x 2.5 mm., obovate-cuneate, contorted; carina 6 x 2 mm., crest 2–2.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium
Stamens 6 fertile with 2 staminodes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 4.5 x 2.5 mm., oblong-elliptic, glabrous, with very narrowly winged margin.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 2.8–3 x 1.2–1.7 mm., ellipsoid, with white, silky hairs; caruncle 1 mm. long with small appendages.
[FZ]

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 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/

  • 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