Polygala sphenoptera Fresen.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
4km before Wengezi junction coming from Chimanimani

Photo: Bart Wursten
Christon Bank Botanical Reserve

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Description:	Shrubby annual or perennial herb, up to 60(100) cm tall. Leaves variable from very narrowly elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 2-8 cm long, from nearly hairless to crisped pubescent; margin entire, sometimes rolled under, particularly in drier areas. Inflorescences in lateral racemes c. 5-8 cm long. Flowers pink to purplish with wing sepals more or less yellowish, often with a distinctly purple-tinged margin. Capsule 4-6 mm long, broadly oblong, narrowly winged at the margin.
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Flowering time:	Nov - Apr
Worldwide distribution:	Through the eastern half of Africa from Ethiopia to Mpumalanga, South Africa. Also in DRC.
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Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 45. As Polygala sphenoptera sphenoptera Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 29. As Polygala sphenoptera sphenoptera Exell, A.W. (1960). Polygalaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(1) Pages 315 - 316. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 67. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 93. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 97.

Other sources of information about Polygala sphenoptera:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Polygala sphenoptera
Flora of Malawi: Polygala sphenoptera
Flora of Mozambique: Polygala sphenoptera
Flora of Zambia: Polygala sphenoptera
Flora of Zimbabwe: Polygala sphenoptera

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Polygala sphenoptera
African Plant Database: Polygala sphenoptera
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Polygala sphenoptera
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Polygala sphenoptera
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Polygala sphenoptera
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Polygala sphenoptera
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Polygala sphenoptera
JSTOR Plant Science: Polygala sphenoptera
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Polygala sphenoptera
Plants of the World Online: Polygala sphenoptera
Tropicos: Polygala sphenoptera
Wikipedia: Polygala sphenoptera