Polygala wightiana (Polygala wightiana)
Description
Annual herbs,about 10-40 cm tall.Stems slender,erect,terete,glabrous or slightly glaucous,usually dichotomously above.Leaves simple,alternate,linear lanceolate to linear elliptic-oblong,about 4-35 x 1-3 mm across,base narrowed,margin entire,flat or recurved,apex subacute to obtuse with mucronate tip,glabrous,chartaceous,lateral veins inconspicuous,petiole subsessile or very short,stipules absent.Inflorescence in supra axillary or leaf opposed racemes,many flowered,about 1-8 cm long.Flowers bisexual,zygomorphic,greenish tinged with pink,yellow,about 3-4 mm across,pedicels about 1-2 mm long,bracts linear lanceolate,apex acute,persistent,about 1 mm long,sepals 5,unequal,in 2 series,usually outer 3 small,lanceolate-ovate,apex acute with mucronate tip,glabrous about 2-2.5 x 0.5-1.3 mm across,inner 2 larger petaloid winged sepals,obliquely ovate,falcate,apex obtuse with mucronate tip,glabrous,persistent,about 4.5 x 2.5 mm across,penta veined,glabrous,petals 3,greenish tinged with pink,yellow,middle ones about 3.5 mm long,tubercled crest,lateral ones orbicular,shorter than middle lobes,about 2-2.5 mm long,middle ones keeled,base auricled,crest divided in 3 bundles of linear forked appendages.Stamens 8,monadelphous,filaments united basally,variously free above,into a somewhat tubular split staminal sheath,about 2.5 mm long,free portion about 1.5 mm long,anthers sessile,basifixed,dehiscing from the terminal pore.Ovary laterally compressed,bilocular,ovoid,margins ciliate,glabrous,about 1.5 mm long,anatropous ovules,style terminal,about 6 mm long,stigma lateral,entire or lobed.Fruit capsule,compressed or flattened,oblong,apex emarginated,about 2-3 x 0.5-1 mm across,margined with wings,dehiscing loculicidal,enclosed in persistent winged sepals.Seeds 2,oblong-obovoid,densely pubescent with white silky hairs,caruncle tri-lobed,hood shaped,with minute appendages,mostly black.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Fabales
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Family: Polygalaceae
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Genus: Polygala
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