Stiffly erect, few-branched, glabrescent herb to 50(–80) cm high. Leaves narrowly lanceolate, 10–30 mm long, 1.5–5 mm wide. Flowers whitish, in terminal racemes 5–20 cm long; bracts and bracteoles subulate, c. 1 mm long, membranous and soon deciduous; pedicels filiform, 1.5–2.5 mm long; sepals free, the upper and lower ones narrow-lanceolate, 2–3 mm long, wings elliptic, 7–9 mm long, 3–3.5 mm wide in fruit, prominently 3-nerved; corolla 4–5 mm long, keel appendages c. 1 mm long, lateral petals entire, subequal to keel. Capsule obcordate, c. 5 mm long, narrower than sepals; seed silky, c. 2 mm long, with aril c. 0.3 mm long. Flowers Nov.–Dec.
LoM, Wim, GleP, VVP, OtP, WaP, Gold, DunT. Also naturalised SA. Native to Mediterranean region. Naturalized in a few far western localities (e.g. Casterton, Lillimur areas) where sometimes locally abundant in roadside ditches or dry lake beds.
Source:
Walsh, N.G. (1999). Polygalaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 130–137. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
