Othonna coronopifolia L

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 : 613-614

6. Othonna coronopifolia L ., Sp. Pl. 926 (1753); Thunb., Prodr. Pl. Cap. 2: 167 (1800); Harv. in Fl. Cap. 3: 331 (1865).

Type: South Africa, without precise locality or date, Thunberg s.n. (LINN-1038.12—image!, lecto., designated by Wijnands 1983: 714).

Othonna bergeri Spreng ., Syst. Veg., ed.16, 3: 626 (1826) [1825- 1828], syn. nov. Type: South Africa, CBS, Berger s.n. (not located, following Harvey, 1865: 331) .

Othonna mucronata Harv. in Fl. Cap. 3: 331 (1865), syn. nov. Type: South Africa, Western Cape, Clanwilliam (3218): ‘ Langvalley’ , (- BC), without date, Zeyher 998 ( K-000306966 , lecto. —image! , designated here ; BOL-139147—image! , P-0004832—image! , isolecto.) . Note: Harvey cited as original material duplicates from Hooker’ s herbarium at Kew and Sonder’ s herbarium (now presumably at Stockholm). We have not seen the latter and select as lectotype the collection at Kew.

Shrubs to 1.5 m, stems woody, sometimes gnarled and dwarfed, simple or branched in upper half, branches erect to flexuous, striate, deep red when young becoming pale grey with age, sometimes § leafless above, leaf axils cobwebbed. Leaves alternate, often in axillary tufts or fascicled on short-shoots, blade obovate to oblanceolate, narrowed below and petiole-like, 10 - 65 £ 5 - 20 mm, entire or sparsely to irregularly toothed, sometimes 3-pinnatifid, lobes lanceolate to cordate, 3 - 10 £ 1 - 2 mm, upper leaves sometimes reduced to a few lanceolate bracts 5 - 10 £ 2 - 4 mm, leathery to sub-succulent. In fl orescence of mostly solitary capitula but often also in loose corymbs, terminal on stems or short-shoots; peduncles (30 -) 50 - 150 (- 200) mm long. Capitula radiate, rays and discs yellow. Involucre 10 - 15(20) mm diam., bracts 7 or 8, lanceolate to elliptic, 10 - 13 £ 2 - 3 mm, connate in basal 1/3 to 1/2. Ray fl orets 7 or 8, corolla tube 2 - 4 mm, limb lanceolate to elliptic, 5 - 20 £ 3 - 5 mm; ovary obovoid, appressed-puberulous with white twin-hairs; style branched in upper-half. Cypselae ellipsoid-ovoid, 4 - 10 £ 2 - 4 mm, densely appressed-puberulous on ribs with myxogenic, white, twin-hairs; pappus accrescent, 8 - 15 mm long, beige. Disc fl orets numerous, corolla tube 2 - 4 mm long, lobes lanceolate to ovate, 0.5 - 1.5 mm long; filaments 1 - 2 mm long; ovary 3 - 8 mm long; style simple and cone-tipped; pappus of § 10 barbellate bristles, united basally.

Distribution and Ecology: a well-collected species that is widely distributed along the coast and near inland parts of the GCFR, from Springbok in the Northern Cape south to the Cape Peninsula and along the Agulhus plain to Potberg in the Western Cape and inland along the western edge of the Tanqua basin, with isolated records further east from around Laingsburg and Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo (Fig. 8); sandy flats and slopes on sandstone and granitic substrates. Flowering is from May to October.

Diagnosis: Othonna coronopifolia is distinguished by obovate to oblanceolate leaves, often irregularly toothed or sometimes 3-pinnatifid with lanceolate to cordate lobes 1 - 2 mm wide ( Figs. 1A & 2A 1- A 3 ), and myxogenic cypselae. The capitula are either solitary or sometimes few in loose corymbs, mostly conspicuously pedunculate with peduncle more than 50 mm long. The species can be confused with O. leptodactyla , with which it is partly sympatric in the north of its range, but the leaves in that species are linear or narrowly lanceolate with linear lobes 2 - 5 mm wide, and the cypselae are non-myxogenic. We have seen both species growing adjacent to one another north of Clanwilliam without any evidence of hybridization [Manning and Magoswana 3520 and 3521 (NBG)]. Forms without well-developed corymbs can also be confused with O. ramulosa but the two species are usually readily distinguished in the field, O. ramulosa with mostly solitary capitula terminal on the short shoots on short peduncles mostly less than 40 mm long, sometimes aggregated into raceme-like synflorescences.

Othonna coronopifolia as circumscribed here is a vegetatively variable species with obovate to oblanceolate leaves, often irregularly toothed or sometimes 3-pinnatifid often in axillary tufts and on short-shoots. Plants growing along the coast are often dwarfed, sometimes no more than 0.5 m tall, and can look very different from well grown shrubby plants from further inland.

Based on the limited collections available to him at the time, Harvey (1865) distinguished plants with obovate-oblong, cuspidatemucronate leaves as O. mucronata . With more extensive collections available to us we are unable to distinguish between them and conclude that they represent a single species.

3.8. Additional specimens examined

South Africa. NORTHERN CAPE: 2917 (Springbok): Richtersveld, Buffels River east Wolfberg (- CA), 6 Sep 1998, J urgens ̈ 112788 ( NBG); Skaaprivierpas, 2 km NW of Nababeep (- DA), 6 Jul 2013, Helme 8233 ( NBG); Jakkalswater, § 10 miles [16 km] W of Springbok (- DB), 10 Jul 1972, van der Westhuizen 259 ( PRE). 3017 (Hondeklipbaai): Koingnaas, Skulpfontein (- AB), 24 Aug 1999, Desmet 192 ( NBG); Kleinzee, Koingnaas Mine, banks of Swartlintjies River (- AB), 2 Sep 2008, Cowell, Bennett and Pekeur MSBP 3760 ( NBG); Namakwa National Park, Farm Roodelaagte. jeep track W of Jantjieskop farm ruins (- AD), 20 Aug 2009, Koekemoer 3827 ( PRE); Skilpad section, part of Namaqua National Park, W of Kamieskroon (- BB), 28 Aug 2012, Koekemoer 4359 ( PRE); between Kleinzee and Groenrivier (- DB), Jul 1996, Desmet 153 ( NBG); Esterhuysvlei, near Kotzesrus (- DD), 17 Aug 1996, Desmet 337 ( NBG). 3117 (Lepelfontein): Koë elfontein (- BB), Bruyns 6256 ( BOL); Vredendal, just E of Brand se Baai on Rietfontein Ext. 157 (- BD), 4 Sep 2003, Helme 2920 ( NBG). 3119 (Calvinia): near Niewoudtville (- AC), 10 Oct 1928, Hutchinson 738 ( PRE); Lokenburg, WSW of Calvinia (- CA), 1 Aug 1953, Acocks 16851 ( PRE); Bokkeveld, Lokenburg 815, along road SW of Brakputs (- CA), 12 Sep 2011, Helme 7164 ( NBG); Bokkeveld, 1 km east of Papkuilsfontein Waterfall (- CA), 2 Oct 2006, Helme 9032 ( NBG); Suid Spaarbosch [Spaarbos] (- CD), 26 Jul 1941, Esterhuysen 5314 ( BOL). WESTERN CAPE: 3118 (Vanrhynsdorp): Sandkraal (- DA), 20 Sep 1948, Acocks 14865 ( PRE); 1 mile [1.5 km] S of Vredendal (- DA), 30 Jul 1970, Hall s.n. ( NBG [2 sheets]); Vanrhynsdorp, Wiedouw, foot of the Gifberg (- DB), 22 Sep 1985, Zietsman and Zietsman 1174 ( PRE); 9 Sep 1976, Welman 40 ( PRE); Nardouw Road (- DC), 23 Aug 1941, Compton 11350 ( NBG); 6 Aug 1933, Salter 3522 ( BOL); Gifberg, Ordinanskop (- DD), 14 Jul 1974, Thompson 2094 ( NBG, PRE). 3218 (Clanwilliam): Zeekoevlei, Clanwilliam (- BA), 7 Sep 1933, Compton 4334 ( NBG); 20 Jul 1941, Compton 10968 ( NBG); Bulshoek (- BB), 2 Sep 1951, Compton 22776 ( NBG [2 sheets]); 4 km N of Clanwilliam (- BB), 18 Aug 2015, Manning and Magoswana 3521 ( NBG); § 10 km N of Redelinghuys, Kruisfontein 2, § 4 km NE of Sandkop (- BC), 9 Sep 2009, Helme 6263 ( NBG); NW of Olifantsrivier Mountains (- BD), 18 Aug 2006, Helme 4422 ( NBG); Berg River, between Velddrift and Olifants Kraal (- CC), 2 Sep 1944, Leighton 613 ( PRE); St. Helena Bay (- CD), Oct 1918, Marloth 8221 ( PRE). 3219 (Wuppertal): Citadel kop (- AA), 8 Sep 1953, Compton 24288 ( NBG); Farm Bidouw, Middelplaas (- AB), 8 Jul 1941, Leipoldt 3644 ( BOL); Klipheuwel, between Citrusdal and Geelhoutskloof (- CA), 19 Aug 1995, Hanekom 2757 ( NBG, PRE); Blinkberg (- CB), 10 Sep 2002, Burgoyne 9297 ( PRE); 1 mile [1.5 km] S of Doorn River bridge (- DD), 25 Aug 1950, Maguire 229 ( NBG). 3317 (Saldanha): Saldanha Bay (- BB), 18 Jul 1921, Marloth 10185 ( PRE); 6 Oct 1981, Hugo 2936 ( NBG, PRE); 3 miles [5 km] N of Saldanha (- BB), 24 Aug 1956, Theron 2034 ( PRE). 3318 (Cape Town): near Langebaan (- AA), 15 Jul 1946, Leighton 1789 ( NBG); Geelbek Farm, Langebaan (- AA), 24 Aug 1947, Compton 19908 ( NBG); 17 Sep 1986, Bosenberg and Rutherford 145 ( NBG); Postberg Nature Reserve, Langebaan (- AA), 9 Sep 1966, Rourke 580 ( NBG); 13 Aug 1975 Boucher 2791 ( NBG); 5 km S of Langebaan on road to Darling (- AA), Apr 1976, Hugo 213 ( NBG); Waterbomskraal, Hopefield (- AB), 15 Jun 1975, Hugo 218 ( NBG); Yzerfontein farm, site 560 (- AC), 21 Oct 1993, Louw 2691 ( NBG); Farm De la Rey, E of Yzerfontein (- AC), 15 Oct 1995, Louw 2586; 21 Oct 1995, Louw 2715 ( NBG); Yzerfontein (- AC), Jul 1905, Marloth 4021 ( PRE); Zwartland, near farm Vogelstruisfontein (- AD), Jul 1886, Bachman s.n. ( BOL); Slangkop, Malmesbury (- AD), 13 Aug 1955, Rycroft 1776 ( NBG); 11 Sep 1937, Compton 6783 ( NBG); Waylands Nature Reserve, S of Darling (- AD), 3 Sep 1974 Goldblatt 2474 ( NBG); N of Modder River (- AD), 12 Nov 1986, O' Callaghan 1321 ( NBG, PRE); Bergriver mouth, (- BD), 2 Sep 1944, Compton 15934 ( NBG); Mamre hills (- CB), 23 Aug 1947, Compton 19871; 31 Aug 1944, Compton 15860 ( NBG); Bokbaai (- CB), without date, van Rensberg 556 ( NBG, PRE); Melkbosstrand (- CB), 29 Nov 1954, Jordaan s.n. ( NBG); 29 Sep 1946, Leighton 2133 ( PRE); 24 Jul 1949, Morris 133 ( NBG); 25 Apr 1948, Barker 5333 ( NBG), 24 Sep 1966, Dahlstrand 1060 ( PRE); 20 Oct 1940, Compton 9855 ( NBG); near Cape Town (- CD), Mar 1898, Thode 5873 ( NBG); Bloubergstrand (- CD), 17 Jan 1966, Taylor 6679 ( NBG, PRE); 4 Oct 1956, Acocks 19063 ( PRE); Milnerton (- CD), 2 Aug 1940, Compton 8959 ( NBG); Melkbosstrand, Big Bay (- CD), 16 Jul 2003, Manning and Reeves 2827 ( NBG); Bergriver Station (- CD), 7 Sep 1946, Barker 4313 ( NBG); Kalabaskraal (- DA), 19 Jul 1940, Compton 10918 ( NBG); 19 Jul 1941, Esterhuysen 5523 ( NBG, PRE); West Coast roadside, on N7 opposite Koeberg Power Station (- DA), 10 Aug 2015, Manning and Magoswana 3517 ( NBG); Opposite Parow Municipality Nursery, Beacon Street, Tygervalley (- DC), 31 May 1978, Low 422 ( NBG); near Tygerberg (- DC), 15 Oct 1927, Smuts s.n. ( PRE). 3319 (Worcester): Tulbagh (- AC), 18 Aug 1894, Schlechter 4874 ( PRE [2 sheets]); Orchard, Worcester (- BC), 10 Aug 1959, van Breda SKF700 ( PRE); between Osplaas and Tunnel Sidings (- BC), Aug 1915, Rogers 16710 ( PRE). 3320 (Montagu): N of Pienaarskloof (- AA), 14 Jun 1965, Acocks 23645 ( PRE); Touwsrivier (- AC), 27 Mar 1948, van Breda 213 ( PRE); 14 miles [22.5 km] SSE of Laingsburg, Little Karoo (- BB), 25 Jul 1959, Acocks 20504 ( NBG, PRE); Warmwaterberg State Forest (- DC), 20 Jun 1971, Kruger 1361 ( PRE); eastern foothills of the Warmwaterberg, Lot 2 (- DD), 21 Aug 1971, Boucher 1559 ( NBG); Grootvaderbosch, Langeberg East (- DD), 19 Jul 1988, Ruiters 11 ( PRE); 3322 (Oudtshoorn): near Farm Oude Muragie, between Oudtshoorn and De Rust (- CB), 16 Jul 1989, Vlok 2150, 2152 ( PRE). 3418 (Simonstown): Muizenberg (- AB), Oct 1906, Marloth 4355 ( NBG); Karbonkelberg (- AB), 26 Aug 1940, Kios 211 ( NBG); 21 Jul 1984, Goldblatt 7167 ( PRE); Houtbay (- AB), 6 May 1983, O' Callaghan 597 ( NBG, PRE); Kalk Bay (- AB), without date, Bolus 4231 ( PRE); Retreat, Cape Peninsula (- AB), 8 Nov 1945, Compton 17555 ( NBG); Diep River (- AB), 11 Nov 1986, O' Callaghan 1278 ( NBG); Buffels Bay (- AD), 28 Nov 1941, Walgate 451 ( NBG); 21 Nov 1935, Compton 6029 ( NBG); Swartklip (- BA), 15 Aug 1953, Leistner s.n. ( NBG); Cape Peninsula, Rondevlei (- BA), 24 Sep 1953, Compton 24358 ( NBG); Strandfontein (- BA), 10 Jan 1983, O' Callaghan 515 ( NBG). 3419 (Caledon): Gansbaai, Grootbos Nature Reserve (- CB), 21 Oct 2009, Lutzeyer s.n. ( NBG); Pearly Beach (Hagel Kraal) (- DA), 28 Aug 1962, Acocks 22654 ( PRE). 3420 (Bredasdorp): De Hoop, Potberg Nature Reserve (- BC), 28 Nov 1978, Burgers 1565 ( PRE [2 sheets]).

Figures

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.

Fig. 3. Distribution of Othonna pavonia.