Polygalaceae
Polygala

Polygala rivularis Gürke

First published in O.Warburg (ed.), Kunene-Sambesi Exped.: 278 (1903)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Angola to Zambia. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Erect, annual herb, up to 100 cm. tall with glabrous, often almost leafless stems.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 5–25 x 0.3–0.8 mm., linear to filiform, glabrous, with needle-like tips.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers blue, purplish or white, often with purplish-brown-veined wings and white or bluish petals, pedicels 1.5–2 mm. long, in elongated, terminal racemes up to 15 cm. long, with glabrous rhachis, caducous bracts 1.2 mm. long and bracteoles 0.6 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Posterior sepal 1.6 mm. long; wing sepals 2.5–3 x 1.8–2.5 mm., obliquely obovate to suborbicular, glabrous; anterior sepals 1.5 mm. long, connate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Upper petals 2.5 x 1.5 mm., obovate-spathulate; carina 3 x 1.5 mm., crest 1.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 3 x 2 mm., oblong, glabrous, apical lobes pointed, marginal wing scarcely developed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 4 x 2 mm., ellipsoid; caruncle 1.2 mm. long, appendages scarcely 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: not 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