Polygala malesiana

Primary tabs

Polygala malesiana

Description

Herb up to 25 cm. Leaves mostly in pseudo-whorls of 3, broadly elliptic to ovate, 10-55 by 9-25 mm, acute, base attenuate, laxly short-hairy, ciliate, 0.5-1 cm petioled. Flowers 1.5-2 mm long, white with rosa crest. Sepals blunt, the alae obovate, 5-nerved. Ovary obcordate; Capsule symmetric, obcordate, c. 2.5 mm long, apically notched, not mucronate, winged; Seed ellipsoid, tuberculate, shortly hairy, at micropylar side with an obliquely lobed aril, at chalazal side with an appendage one third as long as the seed;

Distribution

Aru Is present, Asia-Tropical: Lesser Sunda Is. present; Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia present); Maluku (Maluku present); Philippines (Philippines present), Bohol present, Buru present, Ceram present, Flores present, Kai present, Pahang present, Perak present, SE. Celebes present, Selangor present, Sorong present, Sumba present, Tukangbesi Is present, Vogelkop Peninsula present, West New Guinea present
Malesia: Malay Peninsula (Perak, Pahang, Selangor), Lesser Sunda Islands (Sumba, Flores), SE. Celebes (Tukangbesi Is.), Philippines (Bohol), Moluccas (Buru, Ceram, Kai and Aru Is.), and West New Guinea (Sorong and Vogelkop Peninsula).

Notes

Polygala isocarpa CHODAT (P. umbonata CRAIB) differs in a number of small but constant characters, especially in the style, which is somewhat inflated and apically not widened, and in the chalazal appendage of the seed, of which the kidney-shaped, basal, hollow membraneous lamella makes a right angle to the seed.

Citation

MUKHERJEE 1961 – In: Bull. Bot. Soc. Beng.: 36
King 1890 – In: J. As. Soc. Beng.: 130
Merr. 1923 – In: En. Philip.: 383