Compilation
Polygala persicariaefolia

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Name

Identification
Polygala persicariaefolia DC. [family POLYGALACEAE ] (stored under name); Verified by Data not digitized, Polygala persicariaefolia DC. [family POLYGALACEAE ] Verified by Data not digitized,
Related name
  • Polygala wallichiana
  • Polygala vatkeana
  • Polygala schweinfurthii
  • Polygala persicariifolia
  • Maerua oblongifolia
  • `
  • Polygala punctulata
  • Polygala schimperi
  • Polygala persicariaefolia
  • Polygala sadebeckiana
  • Polygala granulata

Flora

Entry for Polygala sphenoptera Fresen. [family POLYGALACEAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora Zambesiaca
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
FZ, Vol 1, Part 1, page 303, (1960) Author: A. W. Exell
Names
Polygala fischeri [family POLYGALACEAE], sensu R.E.Fr. in Wiss. Ergebn. Schwed. Rhod.–Kongo-Exped. 1: 112 (1914). — Wild, Guide Fl. Vict. Falls: 143 (1953).
Polygala ukambica Chod. [family POLYGALACEAE], in Mém. Soc. Phys. & Nat. Hist. Genève, 31, 2: 329, t. 27 fig. 21 (1893). — Burtt Davy, F.P.F.T. 1: 134 (1926). — Syntypes from Tanganyika and Natal.
Polygala tristis Chod. [family POLYGALACEAE], in Bull. Herb. Boiss. 4: 903 (1896). Type: Mozambique, Boroma, Menyhart 811 (Herb. Schinz, not seen). The type cannot be found in the Zurich Herbarium and has not been discovered elsewhere.
Polygala quartiniana A. Rich. [family POLYGALACEAE], in Ann. Sci. Nat., Sér. 2, Bot. 14: 263 (1840). — Norlindh in Bot. Notis. 1935: 360 (1935). — Martineau, Rhod. Wild Fl.: 44, t. 14 fig. 3 (1953). Type from Ethiopia.
Polygala sphenoptera Fresen. [family POLYGALACEAE], in Mus. Senckenb. 2: 274 (1837). — Cufod. in Bull. Jard. Bot. Brux. 26: 411 (1956). — E. Petit, F.C.B. 7: 251, t. 27 (1958). TAB. 56 fig. 13. Type from Ethiopia.
Polygala persicariaefolia [family POLYGALACEAE], sensu Eyles in Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Afr. 5: 391 (1916) non DC.
Information
Annual or perennial herb or shrublet up to 0.6–1 m. tall with slender stems usually crisped-pubescent sometimes patent-pubescent or nearly glabrous. Leaves 2–8 x 0.3–2.5 cm., very narrowly to narrowly elliptic, crisped-pubescent. Flowers pink or purple, pedicels slender, up to 6 mm. long, in slender lateral racemes usually about 5–8 cm. long but occasionally up to 18 cm. long; bracts and bracteoles 1.5–2 mm. long, persistent. Posterior sepal 3 x 1.8 mm.; wing sepals 4–7 mm. in diam., suborbicular in outline, usually glabrous, frequently and characteristically tinged with purple round the extreme margin; anterior sepals 3 mm. long, free. Upper petals 4 mm. long and 2 mm. broad near the apex, obliquely oblanceolate-oblong with a semi-circular incision at one side of the waist, puberulous from the waist downwards; carina 4.5 x 2 mm., crest 2–3 mm. long. Capsule 4–6 x 3–4 mm., broadly oblong in outline, slightly broader at the apex or almost suborbicular, with a narrowly winged margin, 0.2–0.3 mm. broad. Seeds 2 x 1.5 mm., sericeous; caruncular appendages 0.5–1 mm. long. (Note: the wings vary from 4 to 7 mm. in diam. and the rest of the flower parts vary more or less in proportion).
Habitat
Sporadic throughout our region in various habitats
Range
Eastern tropical Africa from Ethiopia to the Transvaal and in the Belgian Congo.
Altitude range
up to 1300 m.
1300
0
inferred only top
Distribution
Mozambique M Maputo, Goba, fl. & fr. 23.xii.1942, Mendonça 1624 (BM; LISC).Mozambique MS Chimoio, Garuso, fl. 21.iii.1948, Barbosa 1223 (BM; LISC).Mozambique GI Salela, 10 km. E. of Inhambane, fl. & fr. x.1935. Gomes e Sousa 1658 (COI).Mozambique T Tete, fl. & fr. ii.1859. Kirk (K).Mozambique Z Lugela, Mocuba Distr., Namagoa, fl. 4.v.1948, Faulkner 262 (COI; K; PRE).Malawi S Shire R., near Liwonde Ferry, 475 m., fl. 13.iii.1955, E.M. & W. 847 (BM; LISC; SRGH).Zimbabwe S Fort Victoria, Monro 1885 C (BM).Zimbabwe E Inyanga, near Cheshire, 1300 m., fl. S.ii.1931, Norlindh & Weimarck 4881 (BM).Zimbabwe W Matopos, fl. iii.1918, Eyles 972 (BM).Zimbabwe C Umsweswe, fl. 20.iv.1921, Borle 186 (PRE).Zambia S Livingstone, 910 m., fl. & fr. 1909, Rogers 7092 (K).Zambia N Mulungushi R., fl. xii.1907, Kassner 2074 (BM; K).Mozambique N Ribauè, fl. 24.iv.1937, Torre 1463 (COI; LISC).Botswana SE 18 km. N. of Lobatsi, fl. 15.xi.1948, Hillary & Robertson 556 (PRE).Zimbabwe N Mazoe, 1310 m., fl. & fr. iv.1906, Eyles 302 (BM).Malawi N Rumpi, Njakwa Gorge, fl. & fr. 13.v.1952, White 2848 (FHO).Zambia B Balovale Distr., near Mombezi-Kabompo confluence, fl. & fr., 8–10.v.1953, Holmes 1094 (FHO).Botswana N Francistown, fl. ii.1926, Rand 52 (BM).
Notes
A form with long racemes (up to 18 cm. long) occurs in the south of Mozambique (Barbosa 696, Torre 7641 A, etc.) and a very small-flowered form, Faulkner 320 (PRE), has been collected at Namagoa.P. filifera Chod., from the SW. of Angola, is very close but has smaller caruncular appendages. At present it seems unwise to unite it with P. sphenoptera in view of this difference and some discontinuity in distribution.I have not been able to find the type (Rüppell) but it seems highly probable that P. sphenoptera Fresen. is the oldest name for the species usually known as P. quartiniana A. Rich. or P. ukambica Chod. and I have followed Cufodontis (loc. cit.) in using this name.The species as delimited here is very variable in leaf-size and length of raceme, and somewhat variable in flower-size and indumentum.

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