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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Polygalaceae
Comesperma calymega

Citation: Labill., Nov. Holl. Pl. Sp. 2:23 (1806).

Synonymy: Bredemeyera calymega (Labill.)Chodat ex Ewart, Census Vic. Pl. 40 (1923).

Common name: Blue-spike milkwort.

Description:
Glabrous or almost glabrous erect perennial often with a woody root stock; stem slender, striate, simple or sometimes branched from the base, 95-500 mm tall, rarely to 700 mm; upper branching sparse, alternate; leaves usually scattered, sessile, arising from strips of raised decurrent stem tissue, elliptic-ovate to lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 4-25 x 0.5-3.5 mm rarely 5 mm, sometimes reduced to scales 2-4 mm long on part or all of the stem, margins flat or slightly recurred, entire.

Inflorescence a raceme 20-100 mm long, up to 175 mm long in fruit; pedicel of mature flower 2-3.5 mm long; outer sepals free, c. 3-4 mm long, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate; wings 4-5 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, widely obovate; petals 3; keel 2-lobed, c. 3 mm long; lateral petals c. 4 mm long; stamens epipetalous on the upper half of the keel; filaments short; anthers club-shaped; style distinctly 2-lobed.

Capsule 7-9 mm long, 2-3 mm wide; apex emarginate and mucronate; seeds tomentose with a coma arising from the margins and base.

Published illustration: Cochrane et al. (1968) Flowers and plants of Victoria, fig. 42.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: EP, MU, SL, KI, SE.   W.Aust.; Vic.; Tas.

Conservation status: native

Flowering time: Oct. — Jan.


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


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