Othonna pavonia E.Mey. ex DC.

Magoswana, S. L., Boatwright, J. S., Magee, A. R. & Manning, J. C., 2022, A taxonomic revision of the Othonna coronopifolia L. group (Asteraceae: Senecioneae: Othonninae), South African Journal of Botany 149, pp. 604-616 : 605-606

1. Othonna pavonia E.Mey. ex DC. , Prodr. 6: 473 (1838); Harv. in Fl. Cap. 3: 330 (1865).

Type: South Africa, [Eastern Cape], ‘in Africa Capensi ad Klipplaatrivier’ [‘ Nieuweld , zwischen Rhinosterkop und Ganzefontein’ in Drege (1838)] [between Rhenostekop and Ganze fontein ], Nov (without year), Drege [706] (G-DC, holo.—image! ; K-000306909—image!, P-0004896—image!, iso.) .

[ Othonna pavonia Drege in Zwei Pflanzengeogr. Docum.: 47 (1843), nom. nud.]

Shrubs to 1.5 m, stems woody, simple or sparsely branched in upper half, branches erect to sub-erect, striate, deep red to maroon when young becoming pale grey with age, leaf axils cobwebbed. Leaves alternate, cauline and in axillary tufts or fascicled on short-shoots, blade oblanceolate to elliptic in outline, sessile, 15 - 50 £ 10 - 30 mm, pinnatisect to partially bi-pinnatisect, rarely bifid to trifid, lobes linear, 5 - 20 £ 1 - 2 mm, leathery to sub-succulent. In fl orescence of few to several capitula, terminal on stems or short-shoots forming loose corymbs; peduncles 30 - 140 mm long. Capitula radiate, rays and discs yellow. Involucre 8 - 15 mm diam., bracts 5, oblong, 6 - 9 £ 2 - 4 mm, connate in basal 1/3 to 1/2. Ray fl orets 5, corolla tube 3 - 5 mm, limb oblanceolate to lanceolate, 7 - 10 £ 2 - 4 mm; ovary oblong to obovoid, appressed-puberulous with white twin-hairs; style branching in upper half. Cypselae ellipsoid-ovoid, 4 - 6 £ 2 - 3 mm, densely appressed-puberulous on ribs with myxogenic, white twin-hairs; pappus 5 - 8 mm long, beige. Disc fl orets numerous, corolla tube 1 - 3 mm long, lobes lanceolate to ovate, 0.5 - 1.0 mm long; filaments 1 - 2 mm long; ovary 3 - 5 mm long; style simple and cone-tipped; pappus of § 10 barbellate bristles, united basally.

Distribution and Ecology: a local endemic of the Upper Karoo region of South Africa, distributed from the Nuweveld Mts in the Western Cape along the interior plateau to Queenstown in the Eastern Cape and north to Colesberg and De Aar in Northern Cape ( Fig. 3 ); on stony slopes at elevations above1 500 m. Flowering from August to April.

Diagnosis: Othonna pavonia is characterized by mostly pinnatisect leaves, and inflorescences of few to several capitula in lax corymbs, each capitulum with just five involucral bracts and five ray florets ( Figs. 1F1-F 2 & 2C ). All other species in the group have simple or few-lobed foliage, and capitula with 7 or 8 involucral bracts and ray florets

.

3.3. Additional specimens examined

South Africa. NORTHERN CAPE: 3024 (De Aar): De Aar (- CA), 21 Aug 1936, Acocks 627 ( PRE). 3025 (Colesberg): Genadeberg, Hartbeesfontein (- AC), 23 Feb 1971, Werger 1293 ( PRE); Colesberg (- AC), 8 Jul 1963, Bayliss BS/1554 ( PRE); 26 Mar 1947, Sidey 448 ( PRE); 8 miles [13 km] NW of Colesberg (- AC), 26 Mar 1947, Acocks 13531 ( PRE); 26 miles [42 km] from Philippolis on road to Colesberg (- CA), 7 Dec 1941, Warren 179 ( NBG); Farm Adamsfontein, 10 km N of Colesberg (- CA), 5 Apr 1992, Le Roux 217 ( PRE); 27 Nov 2020, Magoswana 105 ( NBG). 3123 (Victoria West): Victoria West (- AC), Oct 1929, Thode A1910 ( PRE); Richmond (- BD), Jul 1923, Gill 51 ( PRE). 3124 (Hanover): Richmond, Leopard ' s Vlei (- CB), 1 Oct 1914, Bolus 15313 ( PRE). WESTERN CAPE: 3222 (Beaufort West): Nuweveldesberge plateau, near top of Dejager ' s Pass (- BA), 9 Mar 1990, Vlok 2277 ( PRE); Karoo National Park Mountains (- BC), 29 Oct 1983, Shearing 302 ( PRE); 10 Aug 1985, Shearing 1065 ( PRE). EASTERN CAPE: 3125 (Steynsburg): Middelburg (- AC), 30 Jan 2002, Klein 93 ( PRE); Steynsburg, Farm Bosjeskom (- AC), 1 Jul 1925, Botha 3561 ( PRE); Middelburg, Townlands (- AC), 1 Aug 1949, Theron 614 ( PRE). 3126 (Queenstown): Van Zylskraal road, between Dordrecht and Jamestown (- BD), 7 Nov 1995, Victor 1451 ( PRE); Queenstown, near Klaas Smits River (- DC), 21 Aug 1897, Galpin s.n. ( PRE). 3225 (Somerset East): Cradock, Halesowen (- BA), 11 Aug 1932, Long 775 ( PRE).

Figures

Fig. 3. Distribution of Othonna pavonia.

Fig. 1. General morphology of the O. coronopifolia group. A.Habit of O. coronopifolia showing obovate to oblanceolate leaves and capitula with 7 or 8 ray florets; B. Habit of O.leptodactyla showing the linear or narrowly lanceolate leaves and capitula with 7 or 8 ray florets; C1-C2. Habit of O. pteronioides showing the small oblanceolate to elliptic leaves in axillary tufts, the divaricate branches ending in thorns and capitula on short-shoots; D. Habit of O. ramulosa showing the leaves fasciculate on short-shoots and capitula with 7 or 8 ray florets; E. Habit of O. spinescens showing the woody spinescent peduncles, the fasciculate leaves on short-shoots and an involucre with 7 or 8 ray florets; F1-F2 Habit of O. pavonia showing the pinnatisect leaves, the deep red or maroon stems, solitary inflorescence and capitula with 5 ray florets. Photographs: A-E by J. Manning; F1-F2 by L. Magoswana.

Fig. 2. Vegetative variability in species of the O. coronopifolia group (A1-A3, O. coronopifolia) (A1) showing dwarf plants growing along the coast, obovate-oblong, cuspidatemucronate leaves; (A2) plants with capitula on short-shoots, the peduncle mostly 50̅150 mm long; (A3) larger plants mostly with leaves often irregularly toothed or sometimes 3- pinnatifid, often in axillary tufts and on short-shoots; (B1-B2, O. leptodactyla) showing the linear or narrowly lanceolate leaves with linear lobes; (C1-C2, O.ramulosa) (C1) showing leaves mostly fasciculate on short-shoots, oblanceolate, inflorescence terminal on stem, old peduncles ending in thorns; (C2) leaves elliptic, narrow below and petiole-like, inflorescence on short-shoots along stem; (D1-D2, O. pteronioides) showing the divaricately branched habit, tips developing into thorns, the small oblanceolate-elliptic leaves, inflorescence terminal on stems or on short-shoots; (E1-E3, O. spinecens) showing an inflorescence that is either terminal on stems and then a divaricately branched corymb the peduncles becoming woody and spinescent after flowering, or solitary sub-erect capitula terminal on short-shoots and narrowly oblanceolate leaves; (F, O. pavonia) showing the pinnatisect leaves, an inflorescence of few to several capitula in lax corymbs and deep red to maroon stems when young and 5 ray florets and involucral bracts.