Polygalaceae
Polygala

Polygala gossweileri Exell & Mendonça

First published in J. Bot. 74: 133 (1936)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Tanzania to Angola. It is a perennial or subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb with woody base, about 15 cm. tall.
Morphology Stem
Stems slender, striate, glabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 8–14 x 0.5–1 mm., linear, with needle-like points, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers blue, pedicels 5–7 mm. long, solitary, or in few-flowered, lateral racemes about 1.5 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Posterior sepal 2.2 mm. long; wing sepals 5 x 2.5 mm., obliquely elliptic, acute, with ciliolate margins; anterior sepals 2 mm. long, connate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Upper petals 4 x 3.3 mm., obovate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium
Stamens 6 fertile with 2 staminodes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 2.5–3 x 2–2.5 mm., margin narrowly winged.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 2 x 0.8 mm., cylindric, white-sericeous; caruncle 0.7 mm. long with a very short appendage.
[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]

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

Type
Type: Angola, Bié, R. Colui, Gossweiler 2146 (BM!, holo.; COI, iso.)
Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb sending up annual shoots up to 15 cm long from a woody rootstock and forming tufts
Morphology Stem
Stems erect or decumbent, slender, striate, glabrous
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, subsessile, linear, 5–20 × 0.5–1 mm, acute, with a needle-like point, base cuneate, margin revolute, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers blue, solitary or in a lateral simple few-flowered raceme, up to 1.5 cm long; rachis glabrous; bracts linear, 0.5 mm long, caducous; bracteoles linear, ± 0.2 mm long, caducous; pedicels 5–9 mm, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Posterior sepal keel-shaped, 2.2 × 1.5 mm, ciliolate; wing sepals obliquely elliptic, 4.5–5 × 2.5–3 mm, acute, 3–5-veined from the base, ciliolate; anterior sepals keel-shaped, 1.7–2 × 1.5 mm, ciliolate, connate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Upper petals obliquely obovate, 4–4.5 × 3–3.5 mm; carina 5–5.2 × 2.5–2.8 mm; crest 1.5 mm long, bilobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 6 fertile with 2 staminodes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule oblong-elliptic in outline, 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 mm, narrowly winged, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ellipsoid, 2–2.2 × 0.7–1 mm, with white-sericeous hairs; caruncle asymmetrically kidney-shaped, 0.7 mm long, hairy, appendages scarcely developed.
Ecology
Grassland; ± 960 m
Distribution
Range: Angola, Zambia and Malawi Flora districts: T8
[FTEA]

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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