Polygalaceae
Polygala

Polygala meonantha Chodat

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 48: 326 (1912)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. Ethiopia to Kenya. It is an annual or perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland 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]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Erect or ascending annual or short-lived perennial to 50 cm high, with most parts puberulous with strongly curved hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves linear to lanceolate, up to 19–35 x 2–5 mm, cuneate at the base, acute to apiculate at the apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes lateral, up to 25 mm long and 10-flowered, but usually much shorter and few-flowered; bracts minute, soon falling; pedicels up to 2 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Outer sepals to 2 mm long, acute, free; wings elliptic, usually strongly curved, 3–4 x 1.2–1.6 mm, green
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Upper petals obovate, about half as long as wings; keel pink or blue, longer than wings, with a fringed appendage
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule ovate-orbicular, 2.5–3.5 x 3–3.5 mm, emarginate, very narrowly winged, puberulous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed ovoid, 2–2.7 mm long, with short white hairs; caruncle with 3 short appendages.
Distribution
C1; S1; Ethiopia, Kenya
Ecology
Altitude range 200–450 m.
[FSOM]

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

Type
Type: Ethiopia, Arussa-Galla, Ellenbeck 2055 (B†, syn.); TaroGumbi, Ellenbeck 2048 (B†, syn.); Ethiopia, Sidamo, 38 km from Negele, on Filtu road, Gilbert 3358 (K!, neo.)
Morphology General Habit
Annual or short-lived perennial sprawling herb 5–20 cm tall
Morphology Stem
Stems slender, branched, crisped-pubescent
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, petiolate (petiole 0.5–1 mm, crisped-pubescent), linear to lanceolate, (10–)20–35(–40) × (0.5–)2–5 mm, acute to apiculate, base cuneate, secondary venation and reticulation inconspicuous, sparsely pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers pale pink, in 1–5-flowered lateral racemes 0.7–2.5 cm long, rachis crisped-pubescent; bracts ovate-lanceolate, 0.5–0.8 mm long, crisped-pubescent, soon caducous; bracteoles ovatelanceolate, 0.5 mm long, crisped-pubescent, soon caducous; pedicels (0.5–)1–2 mm, crisped-pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Posterior sepal lanceolate, 1.7–2 × 0.8–1 mm, acute, crispedpubescent and ciliolate; wing sepals obliquely elliptic, 3–4 × 1.2–1.6 mm, usually apiculate, sparsely pubescent; anterior sepals lanceolate, 1.5 × 0.7 mm, acute, crispedpubescent and ciliolate, free
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Upper petals obovate, 2.5–3 × 1.1.2 mm; carina 3.5–4.5 × 1.5–2 mm; crest fimbriate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule ovate-orbicular in outline, 2.5–3.5 mm in diameter, asymmetrically bilobate, sparsely pubescent, very narrowly winged, wing 0.1–0.2 mm wide
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ovoid, 2–2.8 × 1.5 mm, sericeous, caruncle 0.2 mm long, with three short appendages.
Ecology
Scattered tree grassland, Acacia bushland, woodland; 0–700 m
Distribution
Range: Ethiopia, Somalia Flora districts: K1 K4 K7
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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

    • '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