Polygala eriocephala F.Muell. ex Benth.

Species

Angiosperms > Fabales > Polygalaceae > Polygala

Characteristics

Annual herb, erect with ascending branches, up to 40 cm high; indumentum of curved and straight hairs. Leaves linear or oblanceolate, 7–74 mm long, 1–8 mm wide; apex acute, obtuse or rounded, mucro c. 0.4 mm long; petiole 0–1 mm long. Inflorescence supra-axillary, a raceme to 35 mm long, not exceeding the leaves. Pedicel ± lacking. Alae antrorse to perpendicular in fruit (position), herbaceous, ovate, dimidiate, 6.4–9.8 mm long, 3.3–4.5 mm wide, densely villous with straight hairs. Corolla purple; floral appendages horned, offset to one side of keel; upper petal claw 1.5–2.0 mm wide. Stamens terminate at stigma, monadelphous; staminal flap not visible, to c. 0.05 mm wide. Style sinuous, terete, cleft into a short stalk perpendicular to main axis with a globular stigma, and longer stalk persistent past stigma and sterile. Capsule antrorse to perpendicular, ± aligned with alae, lacking wing, ± symmetrical, widely ovate, oblong to widely obovate, 4.5–6.1 mm long, 3.5–4.5 mm wide; lobe apices rounded and separated. Seed ovoid–obloid, 4.0–4.6 mm long, 1.5–2.0 mm wide, with indumentum of fine white and ferruginous hairs. Aril head hooked to helmet-shaped, 0.6–1.0 mm long, white or brown and white, with a tuft of hairs. Aril appendages 3, oblongtolinear, 0.20–0.65 mm long.
Life form
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.4
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Grows in woodlands, in sandy soils often adjacent to creek lines. Predominantly occurs in red sand on flats in open woodlands, although also recorded in sandy clay loam adjacent to gullies, in riparian situations and on rocky slopes.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 8-12

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) 30 - 60
Germination temperacture (C°) 15 - 18
Germination luminosity light
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Polygala eriocephala world distribution map, present in Australia

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:691412-1
WFO ID wfo-0000484335
COL ID 4L7H5
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Polygala eriocephala