Phymaspermum woodii, (Thell.) Kallersjo

Ruiters, Ashton K., Tilney, Patricia M., Wyk, Ben-Erik Van & Magee, Anthony R., 2016, Taxonomy of the Genus Phymaspermum (Asteraceae, Anthemideae), Systematic Botany (Basel, Switzerland) 41 (2), pp. 430-456 : 449-450

13. PHYMASPERMUM WOODII (Thell.) Källersjö in Nordic J. Bot. 5(6): 535 (1986); K. Bremer and Humphries in Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. Lond. (Bot.) 23(2): 94 (1993); Retief and Herman, Pl. N. Prov. S. Afr.: 330 (1997); Germish. and N.L. Meyer, Pl. S. Afr.: 274 (2003); Klopper et al. Checklist of the flowering plants of Sub- Saharan Africa: 147 (2006); Germish. et al. Checklist S. African Pl.: 243 (2006).

Pentzia woodii Thell. in Vierteljahrsschr. naturf. Ges. Zürich. 61: 454 (1916). Athanasia woodii (Thell.) Hilliard in Hilliard and B.L. Burtt, Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 32 (3): 331 (1973); Hilliard, Compositae in Natal: 339 (1977).

— TYPE: SOUTH AFRICA. KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg (2930): Curries Post (–AC), 24 Apr. 1891, Wood 4457 (lectotype: Z –image!, designated here; isolectotype: BOL!, NH –image!) [Note: The specimen in Z, where Thellung was based is selected here.]

Pentzia tysonii Thell. in Vierteljahrsschr. Naturf. Ges. Zürich. 61: 454 (1916).

— TYPE: SOUTH AFRICA. KwaZulu Natal , Kokstad (3029): Mount Currie (–AD), Mar. 1883, Tyson 1254 (lectotype: Z –image!, designated here; isolectotypes: BOL! SAM!) [Note: The specimen in Z is selected as it forms part of the collection which Thellung would have studied.]

[ Pentzia pinnatifida var. chenoleoides Hutch. p.p. excl. type.]

Multistemmed, densely leafy shrublet, 0.4–0.6 m high. Stems few-branched; branches erect, white to silvery tomentose; fascicles present in leaf axils. Leaves alternate, spreading, 4.0–35.0 × 0.5–0.8 mm, linear, sometimes involute, deeply pinnatifid, narrowed into petiole-like base, sometimes with secondary basal lobes, white to silvery villous on both surfaces, leathery; basal swelling present, continuous with stem ribs; lobes 3–5, 2.0–28.0 × 0.5–1.0 mm, linear, mucronate. Capitula discoid, homogamous, terminal, few- to many-headed (3–40), simple to compound corymbs, pedunculate; peduncles 2.0–33.0 mm long, white to silvery tomentose. Involucre 5.0–8.0 × 3.0–5.0 mm, narrowly campanulate to urceolate, apically constricted, sometimes tapering at the base; involucral bracts 4- or 5-seriate, tightly arranged, margins and apices scarious, membranous apices of all bracts 0.3–0.8 mm long, glabrous to slightly or densely pubescent or villous, especially edges, very rigid, brown margins light and inconspicuous, median resin canals present; outer bracts deltoid to lanceolate, 2.2–3.3 mm long, acute to acuminate; middle bracts deltoid to ovate, 2.7–3.4 mm long, acuminate; inner bracts deltoid to lanceolate, 2.7–4.0 mm long, acuminate to rounded; second inner bracts ovate, 3.0–5.0 mm long, rounded; innermost bracts ovate, 4.3–5.8 mm long, rounded. Receptacle convex to flat; paleae in two marginal series, linear to oblong, 4.3–6.0 mm long, rounded, rigid with scarious margins and apices, scarious apices 0.8–1.1 mm long. Disc florets 37–55, without resin canals; corolla 2.3–3.2 mm long, with only glandular trichomes, yellow; tube 1.4–1.8 mm long; limb narrowly campanulate, 1.0– 1.4 mm long (excluding lobes); lobes spreading, 0.6–1.0 mm long, narrowly triangular. Anthers 2.7–3.8 mm long (including apical appendage); apical appendage oblong. Style 2.0– 3.3 mm long (excluding branches); branches 0.5 mm long. Cypselas 1.8–2.0 × 0.5 mm, oblong to obovate, 11-ribbed, apical rim thickened, entire to slightly dentate, glandular trichomes present, sparse, scattered, not mucilaginous when soaked, discontinuous resin canals in ribs absent. Figure 16 .

Diagnostic Characters — Phymaspermum woodii shares the narrowly campanulate to urceolate involucres and flat, deltoid to ovate, closely appressed involucral bracts with P. argenteum but can be distinguished by the sparsely villous leaves with narrower lobes (≤ 0.5 mm wide) and the 5-seriate, apically constricted involucres with at most indistinct brown margins. This species could also be confused with the spring flowering P. pinnatifidum with which it shares the smaller habit and narrowly lobed leaves but can be readily distinguished by the much narrower campanulate to urceolate, apically constricted involucres with closely appressed involucral bracts, the absence of a prominent membranous crown on the fruit and the later flowering time (late summer into autumn).

Distribution and Ecology — Phymaspermum woodii is distributed on rocky hillsides in moist grasslands along the southern and eastern Drakensberg in KwaZulu Natal and Free State ( Fig. 16F ), at altitudes of 1,700 –2,750 m. Flowering is in late summer to autumn from February to May.

Additional Specimens Examined — SOUTH AFRICA. FreeState: 2828 (Bethlehem): Royal Natal National Park , Tugela gorge (–DB), Hilliard 2851 (NU). KwaZulu Natal : 2829 ( Harrismith ): Cathedral Peak (–CC), Unknown s.n. (NU) ; Cathedral Peak Reserve , Mikes Pass (–CC), Magee et al. 460 (NBG) ; Cathedral Peak Forest Reserve station, on spur leading to Organ Pipes Pass (–CC), Killick 1705 (BOL, PRE). 2929 ( Underburg ): Giants Castle , contour walk (– AD), Retief 1687 (PRE) ; Giants Castle Game Reserve , Bannerman area (– AD), Trauseld 763 (NU), Trauseld 758 (PRE) ; Highmoor Forest Reserve (–BC), Hilliard 4814 (NU) ; Merinodale (–BC), Wright 483 (NU) ; Garden Castle Forest Reserve , Mlabonja Valley (–CA), Hilliard and Burtt 15061 (NU) ; 5–7 miles NNW of Castle View farm, headwaters of Mlahlangubo River (–CB), Hilliard and Burtt 15271 (NU–image). 2930 ( Pietermaritzburg ): Near Currys Post (–AC), Wood 4457 (BOL), Wood 1007 (GRA–image, SAM) ; Table Mountain (–DA), Acocks 11505 (PRE) ; 3029 (Kokstad): Summit of Ntsikeni Mountain in Ntsikeni Nature Reserve (–AB), Magee et al. 547 (NBG) ; Summit of Mount Currie (– AD), Magee et al. 447 (NBG) .

Figures

FIG. 16. Phymaspermum woodii. A. Leaves. B. Capitula. C. Involucral bracts (outermost to innermost series, from left) and single palea (far right). D. Disc floret. E. Cypselas (both non-glandular and glandular). F. Known geographical distribution. Vouchers: A. Wood 1007 (SAM); B. Magee et al. 457 (NBG); C, D. Trauseld 763 (NU); E1. Magee et al. 447 (NBG); E2. Killick 1705 (PRE). Scale: A–B = 4 mm; C–D = 1 mm; E = 500 μm.