Polygala australis A.W. Bennett

Echeverría, María L., Alonso, Sara I. & Comparatore, Viviana M., 2017, Survey of the vascular plants of Sierra Chica, the untouched area of the Paititi Natural Reserve (southeastern Tandilia mountain range, Buenos Aires province, Argentina), Check List 13 (6), pp. 1003-1036 : 1022

Polygala australis A.W. Bennett

Figure 24A, B

Polygala australis A.W. Bennett (1879) : 203 — Cabrera (1965a): 64;

Flora Argentina (2017); Tropicos (2017).

Polygala pamparum Spegazzini (1901b) : 240.

Therophytes, native with distribution in the Southern Cone Region of South America.

Characteristics. Annual or biennial herb, with erect or prostrate leafy stems, 5–15 cm tall. Leaves simple, linear in shape, ca 6–8 cm long and 1–1.7 mm wide. Inflorescence: a spike-like raceme, to 2.5 cm long, with zygomorphic, perfect flowers, ca 2 mm long, with white petals. Fruit: an orbicular capsule that contains seeds with a ring of hairs.

Comments. This is a frequent species in the study area. It grows in shallow, damp soils on grassland slopes and on the summits. Polygala australis shares habitat with P. linoides Poir. , which, however, is a perennial herb with lilac flowers ( Fig. 24C) and presents seeds without a ring of hairs.