Polygala petitiana A.Rich.

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual herb up to 90 cm. tall with slender, glabrous or nearly glabrous stems.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 20–40 x 0.5–3 mm., linear to very narrowly elliptic, with needle-like tips, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers blue, white or yellow, pedicels 1–4 mm. long, in elongated terminal racemes up to 15 cm. long with glabrous rhachis, caducous bracts up to 2 mm. long and bracteoles up to 1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Posterior sepal 1.5–3 mm. long; wing sepals 2–5 x 0.8–3 mm., elliptic; anterior sepals 1–1.5 mm. long, connate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Upper petals 1–2 x 0.8–1.5 mm., obovate-spathulate; carina 2–4 mm. long, crest absent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 8.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule 3–4 x 2–2.5 mm., oblong-elliptic, very narrowly winged.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 1.8–2 x 0.8–1 mm., ellipsoid, with long, white, silky hairs; caruncle 0.8 mm. long, appendages absent.

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

Type

Type: Ethiopia, near Gafta, Schimper 1188 (P!, lecto.; BM!, FR!, K!, M!, OXF!, isolecto.)

Morphology General Habit

Annual herb, up to 100(–150) cm tall

Morphology Stem

Stems erect, slender, simple or fewbranched, glabrescent to glabrous

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, subsessile, linear to linearlanceolate, (10–)20–40(–60) × 1–4.5 mm, pointed, base cuneate, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers blue, sometimes white to yellowish, in terminal, simple or few-branched racemes up to 20(–35) cm long; rachis glabrous; bracts linear to linear-lanceolate, 2 mm long, caducous; bracteoles linear, 0.8–1 mm long, caducous; pedicels 1.5–4 mm, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Posterior sepal keel-shaped, (1.5–)2–3 × 1–2 mm, glabrous; wing sepals obovateelliptic, (2–)3–5 × (0.8–)1.8–3 mm, with (3–)4–5 blue veins, usually not from the base, glabrous; anterior sepals keel-shaped, (1–)1.5–2 × 1.2–1.8 mm, glabrous, connate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Upper petals obovate-spathulate, 3–5 × (1–)1.7–3 mm; carina (2–)3–4.5(–5) × 2.5–4 mm; crest absent, exceptionally with a vestigial one

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 8

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule oblong-elliptic in outline, 3–4 × (2–)2.2–2.5(–3) mm, emarginate, very narrowly winged, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds ellipsoid, (2–)2.5–3(–3.5) × 1–1.5 mm, with long, white, silky hairs; caruncle asymmetrically kidney-shaped, 0.7–0.8 mm long, hairy, almost without membranous appendages.

Note

P. petitiana is a variable species, but it is possible to divide the complex into two subspecies; the typical one widespread throughout tropical Africa and subsp. parviflora, an East African taxon, with few-flowered racemes and smaller flowers than the former.

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