Polygalaceae
Polygala

Polygala ohlendorfiana Eckl. & Zeyh.

First published in Enum. Pl. Afric. Austral.: 22 (1835)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kenya to S. Africa. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial with slender crisped-pubescent and sparsely pilose, prostrate or sprawling stems, 6–20 cm. long from a woody rootstock.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 5–15 x 3–9 mm., ovate to suborbicular or elliptic to broadly elliptic, obtuse to rounded at the apex, rounded or obtuse to very slightly cordate at the base, pilose or crisped-pubescent especially on the margins and midrib.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers purple or pink sometimes streaked with yellow, with slender pedicels up to 5 mm. long, in few-flowered, terminal racemes 1.5–5 cm. long; bracts and bracteoles about 1 mm. long, persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Posterior sepal 2.5 mm. long, keel-shaped, wing sepals 5–7 x 3.5–4.5 mm., obliquely broadly elliptic, glabrous; anterior sepals 2 mm. long, free, keel-shaped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Upper petals 3.5 x 2 mm., obovate-spathulate; carina 4 x 2.8 mm., crest 1.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 4.5 x4 mm., suborbicular in outline, with a narrowly winged margin 0.5 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 2 x 1.5 mm., broadly ovoid, sericeous-pubescent; caruncular appendages 0.8 mm. long.
[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: South Africa, Orange Mts, Winterberg, Ecklon & Zeyher s.n. (M!, lecto.; BREM!, CGE!, E!, K!, LD!, OXF!, W!, isolecto.)
Morphology General Habit
Perennial, prostrate herb
Morphology Stem
Stems sprawling and spreading from a woody rootstock, 5–20 cm long, branched, crisped-pubescent and sparsely pilose
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, shortly petiolate (petiole 0.5–1.5 mm, pubescent), ovate, ovatelanceolate to suborbicular, 5–18 × 3–14 mm, obtuse, rounded to subacute and mucronulate, rounded or obtuse to very slightly cordate, pilose or crispedpubescent, mainly on the margins and midrib
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers purple, dark magenta-red or pink, in few-flowered terminal racemes 1.5–5 cm long; bracts lanceolate-linear, 1–1.5 mm long, sparsely pubescent, persistent; bracteoles lanceolate-linear, 0.7–1 mm long, sparsely pubescent, persistent; pedicels 3–5 mm, slender, pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Posterior sepal keel-shaped, 2.5–2.7 × 1.2 mm, sparsely pubescent; wing sepals obliquely broadly-elliptic, 5–7  × 3.5–4.5 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent on the midrib and often ciliate; anterior sepals keel-shaped, 2–2.2 × 1 mm, pubescent, free
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Upper petals obovate-spathulate, 3.5–3.8 × 1.5–2 mm; carina 4–4.5 mm long; crest 2.7 mm long, fimbriate, crest 1.5 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule suborbicular in outline, 4–4.5 × 4 mm, narrowly winged (wing 0.2–0.5 mm wide), slightly pubescent and ciliate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds broadly ovoid, 2–2.8 × 1.5–1.8 mm, white sericeouspubescent; caruncle strongly asymmetric, comma-shaped, with three appendages 0.8–1 mm long
Figures
Fig 7: 5, p 14
Ecology
Upland grassland, burnt grassland; 1800–2750 m
Note
The material from Kenya [ Jex-Blake B1259 (K)] consists of a very bad specimen, but looks like P. ohlendorfiana, which extends the distribution of this species.
Distribution
Range: Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa Flora districts: K3 T7
[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

    • '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