Phymaspermum aciculare, (E. Mey. ex. DC.) Benth. and Hook. f. ex. B.D. Jacks

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 : 444-445

9. PHYMASPERMUM ACICULARE (E. Mey. ex. DC.) Benth. and Hook. f. ex. B.D. Jacks. in Gen. Pl. 2(1): 422 (1873) ; B.D. Jacks., Index Kew. 11: 339 (1895); Källersjö in Nord. J. Bot. 5(6): 535 (1986); K. Bremer and Humphries in Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. Lond. (Bot.) 23(2): 94 (1993); Retief and P.P.J. Herman, Pl. N. Prov. S. Afr.: 330 (1997); Germish. and N.L. Meyer, Pl. S. Afr.: 273 (2003); Klopper et al. Checklist of the flowering plants of Sub- Saharan Africa: 147 (2006); Germish. et al. Checklist S. African Pl.: 243 (2006).

Oligoglossa acicularis E. Mey. ex. DC. , Prodr. 6:76 (1838). Iocaste acicularis (E. Mey ex. DC.) Harv . in Harv. and Sond., Fl. Cap. 3: 160 (1864).

— TYPE: SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape: ‘ Bei Gaatjie’ , December 1835, Drège 749 (lectotype: G –DC sheet G00455513–image!, designated here; isolectotypes: G –DC sheet G00386479– image!, P–image!) . [Note: de Candolle cited having seen both an Ecklon as well as a Drège collection in the protologue. There are specimens of each in G–DC but the Drège collection (from locality 1,a,36) is selected here as it is rich in vegetative and reproductive material.]

Single-stemmed, leafy shrub, 0.45–1.5 m high. Stem few-branched; branches erect, glabrous with few glands; fascicles rarely present in leaf axils. Leaves alternate, erect to spreading, 3.0–20.0 × 0.8–1.5 mm, linear, mucronate, entire, without petiole-like base, without secondary basal lobes, glabrous on both surfaces, leathery; basal swelling present, continuous with stem ribs. Capitula discoid or radiate, homogamous or heterogamous, terminal, solitary, with 3–5 additional capitula from leaf axils below, pedunculate; peduncles 7.0–48.0 mm long, glabrous. Involucre 4.0–6.0 × 3.0–6.0 mm, broadly to narrowly campanulate or funnel-shaped, usually tapering at the base; involucral bracts 3- or 4-seriate, tightly arranged, margins and apices scarious, sometimes completely scarious especially third and fourth bracts, membranous apices of inner bracts 0.5–1.0 mm long, glabrous, brown margins absent, median resin canals present; outer bracts deltoid to lanceolate, 1.2–1.8 mm long, acute, sometimes mucronate; middle bracts deltoid to lanceolate or elliptic, 1.8–2.8 mm long, rounded to acute or sometimes mucronate; inner bracts narrowly obelliptic to lanceolate or linear, 2.2–3.2 mm long, rounded; innermost bracts narrowly obelliptic to linear, 2.4–4.0 mm long, rounded. Receptacle flat to convex; paleae in marginal series, narrowly obelliptic to linear, 2.7–4.0 mm long, rounded, scarious. Ray florets (when present) 3–4; tube 1.0– 1.7 mm long; limb obelliptic, 3.0–5.0 × 1.8–2.8 mm, apically 3-dentate, white. Disc florets 13–32, without resin canals; corolla 2.0– 3.5 mm long, with only glandular trichomes, yellow; tube 1.0– 2.6 mm long; limb campanulate, 1.0– 1.7 mm long (excluding lobes); lobes spreading, ± 0.7 mm long, triangular. Anthers ± 2.8 mm long (including apical appendage); apical appendage elliptic to lanceolate. Style 1.8–2.6 mm long (excluding branches); branches 0.1–0.4 mm long. Cypselas 2.5 × 1.0 mm, obovate, 10-ribbed, apical rim thickened, entire to slightly dentate, glandular trichomes present, sparse, scattered, not mucilaginous when soaked, discontinuous resin canals in ribs absent. Figure 12 .

Diagnostic Characters — Phymaspermum aciculare is the only species in the genus which can have either discoid or radiate heads. It can be distinguished from the other radiate species by the sparsely radiate heads with no more than four rays, with limbs less than 5 mm long. Amongst the discoid species it shares the non-corymbose capitula and large cypselas (> 0.8 mm wide) with P. erubescens and P. peglerae . It can however be readily distinguished by the glabrous stem and leaves and the smaller (3.0–6.0 mm wide), obconical, sometimes few radiate capitula with 3–5 additional capitula from leaf axils below.

Distribution and Ecology — Phymaspermum aciculare is widely distributed from McGregor in the Western Cape to Bloemhof in the North West Province with a disjunction in Namibia ( Fig. 12G ). A similar Namibian disjunction has also been reported in Melolobium (Moteetee and Van Wyk 2006) as well as Dichilus ( Schutte and Van Wyk 1988) . This species prefers hard, dry soil and sometimes occurs on dolerite, at altitudes of 40 m to 1,700 m. It is reportedly grazed by livestock ( Henrici 2844, BOL; Roux 36, PRE; Liebenberg 7673, B–image, PRE). Flowering is from September to May.

Additional Specimens Examined — NAMIBIA. 2217 (Windhoek): Dobra river bank (–AC), Koenen 580 (WIND); Farm Hohenau (–CB), Walter and Walter 1177 (B–image); Lichtenstein (–CC), Dinter 3527 (B– two images, PRE, SAM) .

SOUTH AFRICA. North West: 2725 (Bloemhof): Leeuwfontein , 10 km W from Wolmaranstad (– BB), Van Wyk 1451 ( PRE). Free State: 2824 (Kimberley): Mcgregor Hills , Kamfersdam (– DB), Esterhuysen 3683 ( BOL). 2826 (Brandfort): Krugersdriftdam Nature Reserve on Deelkop (– CC), Muller 1507 ( PRE). 2925 (Jagersfontein): Bloemfontein , Bestersput near Petrusberg (– BA), Acocks 8475 ( BOL, PRE) ; Fauresmith (– CB), Henrici 4710 ( PRE) ; Fauresmith, Rotorua (– CC), Henrici 2844 ( BOL). Northern Cape: 2822 (Glen Lyon): Hay division, Floradale (– BD), Esterhuysen 2359 ( BOL two sheets). 2823 (Griekwastad): Past Sharon farm on road to Postmasburg at high powerline (– AB), Germishuizen 8586 ( PRE). 2824 (Kimberley): Rust en Vrede (– DA), Anon . H1251 ( PRE). 2924 (Hopetown): Kraanvogel Valley (– CD), Acocks 1681 ( BOL). 3022 (Carnarvon): Grootfontein S of Prieska , Leeuput (– BD), Roux 36 ( PRE). 3123 (Victoria West): 36 km from Victoria West on main road to Britstown , farm Rietpoort (– AA), Herman 1152 ( PRE). 3220 (Sutherland): Salpeterkop SE slope, between Amandelboom and De Hoek, Fraserburg (– BD), Moffet and Steensma 3964 ( PRE). Western Cape: 3222 (Beaufort West): Nieuwveld (– AB), Marloth 4753 ( PRE, BOL) Drège 389 ( SAM) ; north end of Molteno Pass (– BA), Acocks 14338 ( PRE) ; Bleak house farm (– BA), Russel , Robinson and Herman 337 ( PRE) ; Sunnyside (– BC), Esterhuysen 2718 ( BOL). Eastern Cape: 3026 (Aliwal North): Burghersdorp (– CD), Guthrie 4207 ( BOL) ; Niewejaarspruit, between Orange and Caledon rivers (– DB), Zeyher s.n. ( HBG –image), Ecklon and Zeyher s.n. ( HAL –image) ; Eland’ s Hoek (– DC), Bolus 235 ( BOL). 3225 (Mahlobyanini East): Cradock , Mountain Zebra Park , on plains below house of Berghof (– AD), Liebenberg 7673 ( B –image, PRE) ; Cradock, Bergkwagga Park (– AD), Liebenberg 7144 ( PRE) ; S of Cradock (– BA), Maguire 685 ( NBG) ; Cradock (– BA), Zeyher 225 ( SAM two sheets), Zeyher 961 ( K –image, S –image) ; near Mortimer in Cradock (– BC), Kensit 9292 ( BOL). 3124 (Hanover): Herbert , Eureka (– CB), Acocks 8749 ( BOL) ; Sneeuwbergen (– DC), Bolus 1846 ( NBG) ; north slopes of Sneeuwberg, Leopard’ s valley (– DC), Bolus 3431 ( BOL). 3125 (Steynsburg): 4 miles from Middelburg on Rietpoort road (– AC), Commins 703 ( BOL) ; Grootfontein, Middelburg (– AC), Theron 331 ( PRE). 3226 (Fort Beaufort): Lefiswane (– CA), Tyson 38747 ( SAM). 3325 (Port Elizabeth): Uitenhage , Ecklon 1142 ( G –DC!) .

PRECISE LOCALITY UNKNOWN:Luaggasvlakte, MacOwan 1087 ( PRE); MacOwan 38749 ( SAM).

Figures

FIG. 12. Phymaspermum aciculare. A. Leaves. B. Capitula. C. Involucral bracts (outermost to innermost series, from left) and single palea (far right). D. Disc floret. E. Ray floret. F. Cypselas (both glandular and non-glandular). G. Known geographical distribution. Vouchers: A1. Germishuizen 8586 (PRE); A2, B2, F1. Anon. H1251 (PRE); B1. Marloth 4753 (PRE); C–E. Herman 1152 (PRE); F2. Acocks 1681 (BOL). Scale: A–B = 4 mm; C–D = 1 mm; E = 500 μm.