Compilation
Polygala paniculata

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Name

Identification
Polygala paniculata L. [family POLYGALACEAE ]
Related name
  • Polygala paniculata

Flora

Entry for Polygala paniculata L. [family POLYGALACEAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 1, (2007) Author: JORGE PAIVA
Names
Polygala paniculata L. [family POLYGALACEAE], Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 2: 1154 (1759); Paiva in Fontqueria 50: 154, t. 25/a (1998); Bernardi in Cavanillesia Altera 1: 13, tabs. 1–3 (2000). Type: Jamaica, Browne s.n. (LINN!, holo.)
Polygala amaniensis Chodat [family POLYGALACEAE], in E.J. 48(1–2): 311 (1912), nom. nud. Based on: Tanzania, Lushoto District: Amani, col. ? (B†)
Information
Annual herb, 15–50 cm tall, often branched from the base. Stems slender, glandular-pubescent. Leaves alternate, but the lower ones in 1–2 verticels of 4–5 leaves, petiolate, linear to linear-lanceolate, 10–25≈1–2 mm, acute, base cuneate, glabrous; petiole 0.5 mm, glabrous or slightly glandular-pubescent. Flowers pink, in terminal racemes (occasionally some lateral) 2–5(–9.5) cm long; rachis glabrous; bracts linear, 0.6–0.8 mm long, glabrous and caducous; bracteoles linear, 0.2 mm long, glabrous and caducous; pedicels 0.7–1 mm, glabrous. Posterior sepal linear, 1.2–1.3 mm long, glabrous; wing sepals ovate-elliptic, 2–2.5≈0.7–1 mm, glabrous; anterior sepals linear, 1.2 mm long, glabrous, free. Upper petals obovate, 2.5 mm long; carina 1–1.5 mm long; crest 1 mm long, 3–4-fimbriate. Stamens 8. Capsule obliquely obovate-elliptic in outline, 1.75≈1–1.3 mm, unwinged, glabrous. Seeds ellipsoid, 1.2–1.5≈0.5 mm, sparsely pubescent; caruncle reduced to the caruncular appendages up to as long as half of the length of the seed. Fig. 4: 1, p. 10.
Range
DISTR. K 7; T 3 widespread in the tropical regions of the World; introduced from South America
Altitude range
350–1700 m
Distribution
KENYA Kwale District Shimba Hills, 3.5 km from Kwale to Tanga, 15 Nov. 1968, Magogo & Estes 1231!TANZANIA Lushoto District Soni-Bumbuli road, 0.8 km N of Kwehangala Pt., 11 May 1953, Drummond & Hemsley 2515!TANZANIA Tanga District Magila, near Muheza, 5 Feb. 1970, Archbold 1260!
Notes
USES. This species is used as a medicinal plant against snake bites and blenorrhagias (which is the reason why this is the species of Polygala with the largest distribution).. C. van der Meijden [Polygalaceae in Flora Malesiana, ser. 1, 10(3): 455–539 (1988)] and L. Bernardi [Cavanillesia altera 1: I-VIII; 1–456 (2000)] considered P. fernandesiana Paiva, from Equatorial África (Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon and Central-African Republic) as a synonyms of P. paniculata L. Indeed they look like the same species but P. fernandesiana has smaller capsules (1.2–1.5≈0.75 mm) and seeds (0.7–0.8≈0.4 mm) than P. paniculata (1.7–2≈1.1–1.2 mm and 1.3–1.5≈0.5 mm) and the seeds of the former do not have caruncular appendages while the latter has two caruncular appendages up to as long as half of the length of the seed. P. paniculata is usually a ruderal plant in Africa, while P. fernandesiana grows in grassland.

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