Citation: Thunb., Prod. Pl. Cap. 2:120 (1800).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: None

Description:
Virgate sometimes almost leafless shrub to 3 m high; stems green, with swollen bases of deciduous leaves; leaves linear to narrowly elliptic, to 6 cm long, glabrous, acute to acuminate.

Margins loosely recurved flowers purple to pale-lilac, c. 1-1.5 cm long, in long terminal racemes; outer sepals elliptic; wing sepals widely elliptic to suborbicular; keel much longer than the spathulate lateral petals, with a crest of 2 much and finely branched appendages 4-5 mm long; stamens 8; filaments free for about half their length; style strongly curved, with hairs inside the curve; stigma short and broad.

capsule c. 10 mm long, c. 8 mm wide, obliquely obovate, glabrous; marginal wing c. 1 mm broad; seeds 0.5-1.5 mm long, cylindrical, shortly pubescent.

	Polygala virgata twig.
Image source: fig 418e in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Courtenay-Lafimer et al. (1967) The flowering plants of the Tsitsikama Forest and Coastal National Park, pl. 41.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: EP, SL, SE.   N.S.W.   native to Africa. Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: July — Nov.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available