Polygala wattersii Hance

Polygala species are annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, sometimes armed with spines. Leaves simple, alternate or spiral, ovate-lanceolate to obovate-oblong, base cuneate to acute, margin entire, apex acute to acuminate, glabrous or pubescent, chartaceous to leathery, petiolate, subsessile to sessile, stipules absent. Inflorescence in axillary or terminal, racemes, panicles or rarely solitary. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, bracts persistent or caducous, bracteoles 2, persistent or caducous, pedicellate, sepals 5, unequal, in 2 series, usually outer 3 small, inner 2 larger petaloid, persistent or caducous, petals 3, yellow, red, white or purple, 2 upper ones, adnate basally to the staminal tube, lower one keel or boat shaped, base clawed or sometimes auricled, entire or divided in number of appendages. Stamens 8, monadelphous, filaments united basally, variously free or united above, into a somewhat tubular split staminal sheath, anthers sessile or not, basifixed, dehiscing from the terminal pore, disk absent or well developed. Ovary laterally compressed, bilocular, anatropous ovules 2, anatropous, carpels 2, style curved or erect, terminal, stigma lateral, entire or lobed. Fruit capsule, compressed or flattened, sometimes margined with double wings, dehiscing loculicidal, usually enclosed in persistent sepals or winged sepals. Seeds 2, globose-ovoid, sparsely or densely hairy or strophiolate, mostly dark colored or black.

Polygala species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: March-May/June-October.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals.

Shrubs about 3 m tall. Stems slender, brown, branches terete, sulcate, grandular pubescent and greenish when young. Leaves simple, alternate, crowded at the apices or ends of branchlets, lanceolate-elliptic to obovate-oblanceolate, about 4.5-12 x 1.3-3 cm across, base attenuate to cuneate, margin entire, apex acute to long acuminate, midrib impressed above and prominent beneath, lateral veins about 8-10 on either side of the midrib, glabrous on both sides, subcoriaceous to subleathery, petiole dorsally sulcate, about 0.5-1.5 cm long, stipules absent. Inflorescence in axillary or terminal, glabrous racemes, many flowered, about 2-10 cm long. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, greenish yellow, purple or brownish, about 1-2 cm across, pedicels about 4-6 mm long, bracts 3, linear lanceolate, apex acute, caducous, sepals 5, unequal, in 2 series, usually outer 3 small, outer solitary one ovate, margin ciliate, about 3-4 x 2-3 mm across, outer paired sepals, linear glabrous, about 3-4 x 1-2 mm across, inner 2 larger petaloid winged sepals, obliquely obovate, base attenuate, apex obtuse, caducous, about 11-13 x 5-7 mm across, enlarged in fruit, petals 3, tri-lobed, middle ones about 1.5-1.7 cm long, lateral ones orbicular, apex truncate, sinus rounded, about 2-3 mm long, 2 upper ones, adnate basally to the staminal sheath tube, lower one keeled, base clawed, about 1.5 cm long, divided into 2 culcullate appendages. Stamens 8, monadelphous, filaments united basally, variously united below united above, into a somewhat tubular split staminal sheath, about 3-4 mm long, anthers oblong or obovoid, basifixed, dehiscing from the terminal pore. Ovary laterally compressed, bilocular, obovoid, glabrous, about 1.5-2 mm across, anatropous ovules, style terminal, narrow near the base thickened towards the apex, about 1.2-1.5 cm long, stigma capitate. Fruit capsule, compressed or flattened, apex emarginated, about 1-1.5 x 5-6 mm across, margined with wings, dehiscing loculicidal, usually enclosed in persistent sepals or winged sepals. Seeds 2, globose-ovoid, about 2 mm across, brown pilose, hairs about 5-7 mm long, caruncle tri-lobed, blackish brown.

Polygala species are susceptible to various insect pests, powdery mildews, root rots and moulds.

On rocky slopes of river banks.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Used in folk medicine.