Polygala virgata
Butterfly Bush, Milkwort
Other regional names: Purple Broom
- Purple Broom
Also known as: Polygala genistoides Poir. +10 more
- Polygala genistoides Poir.
- Polygala genistoides var. spartioides Burch. ex DC.
- Polygala genistopsis Chodat
- Polygala peduncularis Eckl. & Zeyh.
- Polygala spartioides (Burch. ex DC.) Eckl. & Zeyh.
- Polygala speciosa BurttDavy
- Polygala sprengeliana Eckl. & Zeyh.
- Polygala virgata var. cernua (Thunb.) Chodat
- Polygala virgata var. genistoides (Poir.) Harv.
- Polygala virgata var. intermedia Harv.
- Polygala virgata var. sprengeliana (Eckl. & Zeyh.) Harv.
Botanical Data
- Taxonomic Rank: Species
- Botanical Family: Polygalaceae
- WCVP Morphological Data: Recorded natively as a shrub.
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Polygala virgata (commonly known as Butterfly-Bush or Milkwort) is a shrub belonging to the Polygalaceae family. Naturally occurring in Africa, this species is primarily associated with subtropical conditions. It belongs to the highly diverse genus Polygala, which contains over 400 distinct species. There are naturally occurring varieties of this species, which are linked below.
Macro Climate
Subtropical
Plant Type
Shrub
Native Range
Continents (WGSRPD)
AFRICA
Regions (WGSRPD)
East Tropical Africa, South Tropical Africa, Southern Africa, West-Central Tropical Africa
Botanical Countries (WGSRPD L3)
Cape Provinces, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Northern Provinces, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe
Introduced Range
An “Introduced” distribution indicates that the plant is recorded outside its native range in that region as a result of deliberate or accidental human introduction. Introduced records may include casual, naturalized or invasive populations, but do not include plants that are only cultivated or planted without self-sustaining populations.
Botanical Countries (Non-Native)
Hawaii, Réunion
Subspecies, Varieties & Forms