Polygala carnosicaulis W. H. Chen & Y. M. Shui

One of us (Parnell) prefers to treat this as a variety of Polygala isocarpa, differing in its punctate seeds and fleshy stems; however, two of us (Chen and Ma) recognize it as a good species because of its distinct stem and larger seeds.

Herbs annual, 10-30 cm tall. Roots fibrous. Stems red, 4-6 mm in diam., fleshy, glabrous, branched. Petiole red, 0.8-1.8 cm; leaf blade abaxially greenish, adaxially green, ovate, 2.3-5.5 × 1.1-2.3 cm, papery, midvein raised abaxially, impressed adaxially, lateral veins 5 or 6 pairs, raised abaxially, anastomosing near margin, base cuneate, margin entire, apex acuminate. Racemes terminal, 2-2.6 cm, to 7-13 cm at fruiting. Pedicel 1.2-1.5 cm, angular, glabrous; bracts caducous, ovate, ca. 0.9 × 0.3 mm. Flowers yellow, small. Sepals 5, unequal, broadly ovate; outer sepals 3, ca. 1.2 × 1.1 mm; inner sepals 2, petaloid, ca. 3.5 × 2.5 mm, base unguiculate, apex obtuse. Petals 3, connate in lower 1/2, yellow; lateral petals oblong, 2-2.2 × 1.1-1.3 mm, apex slightly obtuse; keel 2.3-2.5 × 1.4-1.5 mm, near apex with 2 red orbicular entire appendages. Stamens 8; filaments ca. 3.5 mm, lower 2/3 united, forming an open staminal sheath; anthers yellow, ovoid, ca. 0.3 mm. Ovary obovoid, ca. 1 mm in diam.; style trumpet-shaped, gradually broadened from base toward apex, apex slightly curved, pincerlike; stigma on lower lobes. Capsules subglobose, 3.5-4 mm in diam., winged, apex retuse or obtuse, wing 0.5-0.8 mm. Seeds black, shiny, ellipsoidal, 1.2-1.4 mm, 0.8-0.9 mm in diam., punctate, base setiferous, with 2-lobed strophiole. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Sep-Oct.

SE Yunnan (Hekou).

● Shrub forests on rocky hills; 2000-2100 m.