Polygala exsquarrosa

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Polygala exsquarrosa

Description

Annual, erect or ascending, branched herb up to 15 cm high. Leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, 5-15 by c. 1 mm, subsessile, mucronate, with recurved margin, sparingly set with long hairs, l-nerved. Flowers 4-5 mm long, whitish with green alae. Sepals lanceolate, acuminate, hairy, the alae asymmetric, 3-nerved. Ovary asymmetrically quadrangular, patently hairy; Capsule much shorter but somewhat wider than the alae, c. 2-2.5 mm long, asymmetrically quadrangular, deeply notched apically, narrowly winged, set with stiff, long hairs. Seeds ovoid, at micropylar side with an unequally 3-lobed aril, black, densely set with rather long appressed hairs.

Distribution

Aru Is present, Asia-Tropical: New Guinea present, Australasia: Northern Territory (Northern Territory present); Queensland (Queensland present), Brisbane present, Cyclops Mts present, Papua present, SE. Moluccas present, Thursday I present, Trangan present, W. Distr present
Australia (Northern Territory; Queensland: Thursday I., Brisbane); in Malesia: SE. Moluccas, Aru Is. (Trangan), New Guinea (Cyclops Mts: 1 coll.; Papua: W. Distr., 1 coll.).

Notes

Similar to the Australian species P. eriocephala BENTH.; its affinity with that species should be further examined.

Citation

ADEMA 1969 – In: Proc. R. Soc. Queensl.: 125