Phymaspermum peglerae, (Hutch.) 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 : 446-447

11. PHYMASPERMUM PEGLERAE (Hutch.) Källersjö in Nordic J. Bot. 5(6): 535 (1986); K. Bremer and Humphries in Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. Lond. (Bot.) 23(2): 94 (1993); 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).

Brachymeris peglerae Hutch. in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew, 1916: 174 (1917).

— TYPE: SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape, Mthatha (3128): ‘ Tembuland , Mthatha River banks’ (–BC), 31 Jan 1861, Pegler 1601 (holotype: K –image!; isotypes: BOL! two sheets, PRE!). [Note: The specimen in K is clearly marked in Hutchinson’ s hand as “Type”.]

Multistemmed, densely leafy shrublet, 0.6–0.7 m high. Stems few-branched; branches erect, silvery villous; fascicles sometimes present in leaf axils. Leaves alternate, erect, 9.0–18.0 × 1.0 mm, linear, acuminate to mucronate, entire, without petiole-like base, without secondary basal lobes, silvery-villous on both surfaces, fleshy; basal swelling present, continuous with stem ribs. Capitula discoid, homogamous, terminal, solitary, pedunculate; peduncles 25.0–80.0 mm long, densely silvery-tomentose. Involucre 8.0–12.0 × 7.0–10.0 mm, hemispherical to cyathiform, not tapering at the base; involucral bracts 3-seriate, tightly arranged, margins and apices scarious, membranous apices of all bracts 0.5–1.0 mm long, densely villous, brown margins absent, median resin canals present; outer bracts lanceolate, 2.7 mm long, attenuating; middle bracts lanceolate, 3.9 mm long, acute to rounded; inner bracts oblong linear, 5.5 mm long, rounded. Receptacle convex; paleae in marginal series, oblong, ± 6.3 mm long, rounded, membranous with scarious margins and apices, scarious apices ± 1.3 mm long. Disc florets ± 20, without resin canals; corolla 2.3 mm long, with only glandular trichomes, yellow; tube 1.0 mm long; limb campanulate, 1.0 mm long (excluding lobes); lobes spreading, ± 0.5 mm long, triangular-ovate. Anthers ±3.0 mm long (including apical appendage); apical appendage obovate, obtuse. Style 4.0 mm long (excluding branches); branches 0.5 mm long. Cypselas 4.6 × 1.0 mm, obovate, 12-ribbed, apical rim thickened, dentate, glandular trichomes present, sparse, scattered, not mucilaginous when soaked, discontinuous resin canals in ribs absent. Figure 14 .

Diagnostic Characters — Phymaspermum peglerae shares the discoid non-corymbose heads and large fruit with P. erubescens and P. aciculare but can be distinguished by the densely bronze villous indumentum (sparse to dense silvery villous or hispid indumentum in P. erubescens and glabrous in P. aciculare ), the usually larger leaves 9.0–18.0 mm long and the largest fruit in the genus> 4 mm.

Distribution and Ecology — Phymaspermum peglerae is known from only two very old collections along the banks of the Mthatha River in the Eastern Cape ( Fig. 14F ). This species flowers in midsummer, around January.

Additional Specimens Examined — SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape: 3128 (Mthatha): Mthatha River bank (–BC), Bolus 10133 ( BOL) .

Figures

FIG. 14. Phymaspermum peglerae. A. Leaf. B. Capitula. C. Involucral bracts (outermost to innermost series, from left) and single palea (far right). D. Disc floret. E. Cypsela. F. Known geographical distribution. Voucher: A–E. Pegler 1601 (BOL). Scale: A–B = 4 mm; C–D = 1 mm; E = 500 μm.