Polygalaceae
Polygala

Polygala homblei Exell

First published in J. Bot. 70: 186 (1932)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. DR Congo to W. Zambia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial sending up annual shoots 10–16 cm. tall from a woody rootstock and forming large tufts; stems pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 5–25 x 1.5–3.5 mm., linear-elliptic to narrowly elliptic, with mucronate tips.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers dull mauve, shaded greenish outside and cream-coloured inside with glabrous pedicels 4 mm. long, in short, terminal racemes with puberulous rhachis, caducous, scarious bracts 1.5–2 mm. long and bracteoles 1 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Posterior sepal 4 mm. long; wing sepals 10–11 x 7–9 mm., broadly elliptic to ovate, glabrous or almost so; anterior sepals 3.5 mm. long, connate almost to the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Upper petals 9–10 x 7mm.,obovate-spathulate, glabrous; carina 11 x 5 mm., crest 2–3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 8–10 x 7–8 mm., broadly oblong-elliptic, glabrous, with a winged margin 1.5 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds (immature) with long, white, silky hairs; caruncle well-developed.
[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: 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