Polygalaceae
Polygala

Polygala sparsiflora Oliv.

First published in Fl. Trop. Afr. 1: 127 (1868)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is W. Tropical Africa to Central African Republic. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Polygalaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Morphology General Habit
Erect annual, simple or sparingly branched, 2–4 ft. high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers greenish-white or pink.
[FWTA]

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

Type
Type: Sierra Leone, Morson s.n. (K!, holo.; BM!, iso.)
Morphology General Habit
Annual herb, 30–60(–100) cm tall
Morphology Stem
Stems erect, slender, simple or few-branched, scarcely crisped-pubescent, rarely patent-pubescent
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, shortly petiolate (petiole 0.5 mm), linear to linear-lanceolate, 10–30 × 0.5–1.5 mm, acute, base cuneate, slightly pubescent to glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers pink, magenta to yellow, in many-flowered or few-flowered, simple lax, flexuous, terminal racemes (none on the axils of the upper leaves) up to 35 cm long, rachis pubescent; bracts linearlanceolate, 0.8–1 mm long, pubescent, persistent; bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 0.5 mm long, pubescent, persistent; pedicels 2.5–3 mm, pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Posterior sepal keel-shaped, 2–2.5 × 1.3–1.5 mm, pubescent; wing sepals broadly elliptic, (4.5–)6–7 × 3–4.5 mm, densely pubescent; anterior sepals keel-shaped, 1.5–2 × 1 mm, free
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Upper petals obliquely obovate, 3.5–4 × 1.3–1.5 mm; carina 4–5 × 2.5–3 mm long, glabrous; crest 2–2.5 mm long, fimbriate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule narrowly obovate in outline, 4–4.5 × 2–2.5 mm, slightly emarginate, unwinged or very narrowly winged, pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds cylindric, 3–3.5 × 1–1.3 mm, with white silky hairs, 1–1.3 mm long; caruncle symmetric, kidney-shaped, with scarcely developed appendages
Figures
Fig 7: 4, p 14
[FTEA]

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 of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical 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