Description:

• Herbs, shrubs, undershrubs or small trees
• Leaves alternate, sometimes fascicled, rarely opposite, simple, entire; stipules 0
• Flowers bisexual, irregular, usually solitary, axillary or terminal, sometimes in spikes, racemes, or rarely panicles; superficially resembling flowers of papilionaceous Fabaceae
• Sepals 5, free, imbricate; the 2 lateral interior ones often resembling wing petals
• Petals 3 or 5, united at base and adnate to staminal tube, lowest boat-shaped, crested or with wing-like appendages below apex; lateral petals small, simple or bifid; posterior one frequently absent
• Stamens 8(7) or 5(4); filaments usually connate into a slit tube, rarely free; anthers 1- or 2-thecous, usually opening by a longitudinal slit, pore or valve
• Disc annular, around base of ovary, sometimes present
• Ovary superior, 2(3 or 5)-locular, rarely 1-locular by abortion, with axile placentas and 1 pendulous ovule in each locule; style simple, often dilated and 2-lobed at apex, 1 lobe stigmatic, the other often ending in a tuft of hairs
• Fruit a capsule, samara, or drupe
• Seeds often hairy, often with aril

Classification Notes:

• Paiva (1998) resurrected the genus Heterosamara Kuntze, represented in southern Africa by H. galpinii (Hook.f.) Paiva (= Polygala galpinii Hook.f.)

Nomenclature:

• Polygalaceae
  • Harvey: 79 (1860) as Polygaleae
  • Exell: 307 (1960)
  • Friedrich-Holzhammer & Merxmüller: 1 (1968)
  • Paiva: 117 (1998)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Genera 80, species > 950, cosmopolitan in most warm and temperate countries
• Southern Africa: Genera 4 (5), species 211

References:

• EXELL, A.W. 1960. Polygalaceae. Flora zambesiaca 1
• FRIEDRICH-HOLZHAMMER, M. & MERXMÜLLER, H. 1968. Polygala L., Securidaca L. Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika 73
• HARVEY, W.H. 1860. Polygaleae, Juss. Flora capensis 1
• PAIVA, J.A.R. 1998. A revision of the African and Malagassy species of the genus Polygala L. (Polygalaceae), and a synopsis of the genus Heterosamara Kuntze, segregated from the former one and extending throughout Africa and Asia. Fontqueria 50

Resources:

• Key to Polygalaceae genera

• Polygalaceae genera: