Othonna leptodactyla Harv.

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 : 612-613

5. Othonna leptodactyla Harv. in Fl. Cap. 3: 331 (1865). Type: South Africa, [Western Cape], ‘between Kromrivier, by Piquetberg and Bergvalei’ [‘ Zwischen Kromrivier (am Piquetberg ) und Bergvalei’], without date, Drege s.n. (K-000306971, holo. —image! ; P-0004764—image!, iso.) .

Shrubs to 1.5 m, stems woody, simple or sparsely branched in upper half, branches erect to sub-erect, striate, deep red when young becoming pale grey with age, leaf axils cobwebbed. Leaves alternate, mostly fasciculate on short-shoots (primary leaves soon deciduous), blade linear or narrowly lanceolate, narrowed below and petiole-like, 5 - 50 £ 2 - 10 mm, entire or sparsely to irregularly toothed or 3 - 5 pinnatifid, lobes linear, 5 - 15 £ 2 - 5 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 20 - 80 mm long. Capitula radiate, rays yellow sometimes darker beneath, disc yellow. Involucre 8 - 15(20) mm diam., bracts 7 or 8, lanceolate, 8 - 12 £ 2 - 3 mm, connate in basal 1/3 to 1/2. Ray fl orets 7 or 8, corolla tube 4 - 6 mm long, limb lanceolate to elliptic, 7 - 15 £ 2 - 5 mm; ovary oblong to obovoid, appressed-puberulous with white twin-hairs; style branching at mouth of tube. Cypselae ellipsoid-ovoid, 3 - 8 £ 2 - 3 mm, densely appressed-puberulous on ribs with non-myxogenic, white, twin-hairs; pappus accrescent, 7 - 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 4 - 7 mm long; style simple and cone-tipped; pappus of § 10 barbellate bristles, united basally.

Distribution and Ecology: Othonna leptodactyla is relatively narrowly distributed along the western escarpment and adjacent mountain ranges of South Africa, from central Namaqualand in Northern Cape along the Bokkeveld Mts and Cederberg to Citrusdal extending west onto the coastal plain between Eland’ s Bay and Redelinghuys in the Western Cape (Fig. 7); on sandstone or granitic slopes, usually in open sandy situstions. Flowering is from August to September.

Diagnosis: Othonna leptodactyla is distinguished by the linear or narrowly lanceolate leaves with linear lobes 5 - 15 mm long ( Figs. 1B & 2B 1-B 2 ), and non-myxogenic cypselae. The species can be confused with O. coronopifolia but that species has obovate to oblanceolate leaves, often irregularly toothed or sometimes 3-pinnatifid with lanceolate to cordate lobes 3 - 10 mm long, and myxogenic cypselae. Both species co-occur north of Clanwilliam without any evidence of hybridization [Manning and Magoswana 3520 and 3521 (NBG)].

3.7. Additional specimens examined

South Africa. NORTHERN CAPE: 3017 (Hondeklipbaai): Farm Avontuur, S of Hondeklipbaai road, Namakwa National Park (- AD), 11 Aug 2006, Koekemoer 3286 ( PRE); Skilpad Wildflower Reserve, Kamiesberg (- BB), 7 Jul 1994, Glass 11 ( NBG); 13 Jul 1993, van Rooyen 2295, 2534, 2539 ( NBG); 29 Jul 1996, Cruz 61 ( NBG); 38 km SW of Garies, Hawerland 503 (- DA), 4 Jul 2013, Helme 7947 ( NBG). 3018 (Kamiesberg): Kamiesberg NE of Leliefontein (- AC), 15 Jan 1911, Pearson 6339 ( BOL); § 10 km from Leliefontein to Kamieskroon (- AC), 25 Aug 1983, van Wyk 6386 ( PRE); 10 miles [16 km] S of Kamiesberg (- AC), 7 Sep 1945, Compton 17302 ( NBG). 3119 (Calvinia): Tierhoek (- BC), 9 Apr 1941, Henrici 3468 ( PRE); Lokenburg, 21 miles [34 km] S of Nieuwoudtville (- CA), 17 Oct 1953, Story 4418 ( PRE); Lokenburg (- CA), 22 Jul 1956, Acocks 18865 ( NBG, PRE). WESTERN CAPE: 3118 (Vanrhynsdorp): Olifants River Valley (- CA), 18 Oct 1945, Esterhuysen 12038 ( PRE [2 sheets]); 20 Oct 1965, Barker 10337 ( NBG); Wiedouw, foot of the Gifberg (- DB), 22 Sep 1985, Zietsman and Zietsman 1174a ( PRE); Gifberg (- DC), 16 Aug 1982, van Jaarsveld 6797 ( NBG). 3218 (Clanwilliam): sandy rise NE of Matjiesgoed drift, Verloren Vlei (- AD), 17 Oct 1935, Pillans 7854 ( BOL); 4 km N of Clanwilliam (- BB), 18 Aug 2015, Manning and Magoswana 3520 ( NBG); 19 km N of Clanwilliam (- BB), 6 Oct 1978, Visser s.n. ( PRE [2 sheets]); 19 km from Clanwilliam to Klawer (- BB), 19 Jul 1980, Visser 375 ( NBG, PRE); on road to Ceres from Clanwilliam (- BB), 17 Oct 1973, Bayliss 619 ( PRE [2 sheets]); on road to Witelskloof (- BC), 13 Oct 1976, Hugo 676 ( PRE); Redelinghuys (- BC), 29 Sep 1943, Compton 15057 ( NBG); near Langfontein between Citrusdal and Clanwilliam (- BD), 25 Oct 1983, Taylor 10747 ( PRE); NW of Olifantsrivier Mts, between Kleinfontein and Jakkalsvlei (- BD), 17 Aug 2006, Helme 4408 ( NBG); The Baths, Citrusdal (- DB), 7 Aug 1939, Steytler s.n. ( NBG). 3219 (Wuppertal): Welbedacht (- AA), 20 Sep 1937, Compton 6912 ( NBG); SE of Citrusdal on road to Allendale, NE of Wolfkop (- CA), 3 Jan 2008, Helme 5267 ( NBG); Keerom, Olifants River (- CC), 3 Dec 1950, Esterhuysen 17886 ( 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.