Polygalaceae
Polygala

Polygala kilimandjarica Chodat

First published in Mém. Soc. Phys. Genève 31(2: 2): 320 (1893)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is E. Tropical Africa. It is a subshrub or shrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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: Kenya, Teita District, Maungu, Johnston 1884 (B†, holo.; K!, lecto, BM!, isolecto.)
Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb or shrublet up to 1.5 m tall
Morphology Stem
Stems spreading from a woody rootstock, branched, densely patent-pubescent
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, subsessile (petiole up to 0.1 mm, patent-pubescent), elliptic to obovate-elliptic, 15–40 × 5–15 mm, rounded to obtuse or sometimes emarginate, base cuneate, pubescent on both sides
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers pinkish, in lateral racemes 2–8(–11) cm long, rachis patent-pubescent; bracts linear, 1.2–1.5 mm long, pubescent, persistent; bracteoles linear, 1–1.3 mm long, pubescent, persistent; pedicels 4–6 mm, patent-pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Posterior sepal keelshaped, 3.5–4 mm long, patent-pubescent; wing sepals suborbicular to obovateorbicular, 8–11 × 7–9 mm, conspicuously and densely reticulate, patent-pubescent; anterior sepals ovate-lanceolate, 3.5 mm long, patent-pubescent, free
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Upper petals obliquely oblanceolate, 5–5.5 × 2 mm, pubescent from the waist downwards; carina 6.5–7 × 2.5 mm; crest 1–2 mm long, fimbriate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule ovate-elliptic in outline, 5.5–6 × 4.5–5 mm, asymmetrically bilobate, very narrowly winged (wing ± 0.1 mm wide), densely patent-pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ovoid-ellipsoid, 4–4.5 × 0.9–2.2 mm, white-sericeous; caruncle asymmetric, with three appendages, usually two longer, sometimes almost up to as long as the length of the seed and the other one shorter (0.5–2 mm long)
Ecology
Acacia- Commiphora bushland, wooded and bushed grassland, woodland, scattered tree grassland, secondary bushland; 0–1500 m
Note
The type [Tanzania, Lushoto District: Kwa Mshusa, Handei, Holst s.n. (B†, holo.)] of P. usambarensis Gürke [in Abh. Preuss. Akad. Wiss.: 64 (1894); in P.O.A. C: 283 (1895); T.T.C.L.: 457 (1949); Paiva in Fontqueria 50: 312 (1998)] has disappeared and there are no duplicates. It is most likely P. kilimandjarica Chodat, which is very polymorphic and common in that area.
Distribution
Flora districts: U1 K1 K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 T3 T6 T8 not known elsewhere
[FTEA]

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

  • 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