Polygala scorpioides R.A.Kerrigan

Species

Angiosperms > Fabales > Polygalaceae > Polygala

Characteristics

Annual herb, erect with ascending lateral branches, rarely sprawling, up to 30 cm high; indumentum of curved and straight hairs. Stems and leaves occasionally tinged maroon. Leaves linear, narrowly elliptic, elliptic or ovate, 4.5–6.5 mm long, 2.5–9.0 mm wide; apex acute or obtuse, mucro 0.2–0.3 mm long; petiole 0–2 mm long. Inflorescence supra-axillary or axillary, a raceme to 160 mm long, not exceeding the leaves and scorpioid. Pedicel to 3.5 mm long (4.5 mm in capsule). Alae antrorse to perpendicular in fruit (position), herbaceous, lanceolate or narrowly elliptic to elliptic, usually dimidiate, 3.6–6.4 mm long, 1.2–2.6 mm wide, often with straight hairs on margin and curved hairs on outer surface. Corolla purple; keel petal with slightly developed pocket; floral appendages fimbriate; upper petal claw 0.6–1.0 mm wide. Stamens terminate at stigma, monadelphous; staminal flap c. 0.6 mm wide. Style hooked (horseshoe-shaped at apex), terete at base, thickened in middle and becoming dorso-ventrally flattened below hook, twisting in apical half, with flat stigma along inner surface of hook. Capsule antrorse to perpendicular, rarely becoming reflexed, ± aligned with alae, lacking wing, widely elliptic to widely oblong, 4.4–5.5 mm long, 2.5–3.5 mm wide; lobe apices rounded and separated. Seed ovoid–obloid, 3.25–4.20 mm long, 1.1–1.8 mm wide, with indumentum of fine white becoming ferruginous hairs. Aril head hooked to helmet-shaped, 0.5–1.0 mm long, white or white and brown, with fine short hairs. Aril appendages 3, oblong, 0.5–1.0 mm long.
Life form
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.3
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Usually found in a variety of eucalypt woodlands on sandy soil and loam.
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 scorpioides world distribution map, present in Australia

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77119260-1
WFO ID wfo-0001332942
COL ID 4L8BJ
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Polygala scorpioides