Polygalaceae
Polygala

Polygala seminuda Harv.

First published in W.H.Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Cap. 1: 86 (1860)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Angola to S. Africa. It is a perennial or subshrub and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb up to about 30 cm. tall, with slender, greyish, crisped-pubescent stems.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves linear to linear-oblong, 10–13 x 1–1.5 mm., sparsely pubescent, tips recurved and mucronate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white, pedicels 1–2 mm. long, in elongated, terminal racemes up to 10 cm. long with sparsely pubescent rhachis and caducous bracts and bracteoles.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Posterior sepal 2 mm. long; wing sepals narrowly obovate-elliptic, 6 x 2.5 mm., glabrous, rounded at the apex; anterior sepals free, 2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Upper petals 3 mm. long; carina 3 mm. long, crest 1 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 5 x 3.5 mm., narrowly obovate in outline, glabrous, margin narrowly winged.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds cylindric, 3 x 1.5 mm., with dense, white, silky hairs; caruncular appendages about 0.5 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]

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

    • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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