Gerbera microcephala Less.

Manning, J. C., Simka, B., Boatwright, J. S. & Magee, A. R., 2016, A revised taxonomy of Gerbera sect. Gerbera (Asteraceae: Mutisieae) *, South African Journal of Botany 104 (1), pp. 142-157 : 154

? Gerbera microcephala Less. in Linnaea 5: 293 (1830).

Type: South Africa, Western Cape Province, Simonstown (3418): ‘ad Hangklip’ , (− BD), Jul 1821, Mundt & Maire s.n . Type: Lost?

Acaulescent perennial. Leaves suberect or spreading, blade oblanceolate or elliptic to narrowly elliptic, 40–125(− 150) × (11–)18–40(− 95) mm, obtuse or acute, base cordate to cuneate, margins retrosely-serrate, doubly-serrate or ± sinuate, revolute or rarely plane, lobes rarely 2- toothed and rarely decreasing in size basipetally, discolorous, upper surface glabrous or thinly whitish or yellowish–brownish felted, lower surface densely yellowish–brownish felted; petiole 25–60(− 220), whitish–greyish or yellowish woolly, densely silky at base. Scapes bracteate, 150–260(− 355) mm, glabrous or whitish–yellowish woolly, bracteate, bracts ±10, lanceolate, 5–11 mm long, whitish hairy. Capitula 40–60 mm diam. Involucre campanulate; bracts imbricate, ovate to lanceolate, 3–15 mm long, yellowish–brownish or golden-brownish woolly or felted with purple membranous margins. Ray fl orets 15–20, white to bright golden-yellow with reddish or purple under surface sometimes only distally, perianth tube 4–6 mm long, lower limb 20–25 mm long, upper limb 3.5–4.0 mm, staminodes present. Disc fl orets pale in colour, tube ± 6 mm long, lower limb 5 mm long, upper limb 2–3 mm long; anther appendages pale yellow. Cypselas not seen. Pappus bristles ± 9 mm, whitish to whitish tawny.

Flowering: (September) November to April.

Distribution and ecology: restricted to the mountains in the extreme southwestern part of Western Cape, from Bainskloof to the Riviersonderend and Kleinrivier Mountains, Bredasdorpberge and western Langeberg above Swellendam ( Fig. 9 ). The species occurs on stony slopes on sandstone, granite or clay, sometimes in marshy or peaty soils, and flowering takes place only after fire. Although Hansen (1985) mapped the species as occurring around Simonstown this is an error and G. tomentosa is not present on the Cape Peninsula.

Populations on the Franschhoek and Drakenstein Mountains have bright yellow rays but those elsewhere are typically white to creamcoloured.

Diagnosis: the species is diagnosed by the densely yellowish–brownish felted leaf under surface ( Fig.2G ) and the imbricate involucral bracts ( Fig. 1I ), not subseriately arranged as in other species in the genus, and often with conspicuous dark tips. The difference in the involucre is sometimes difficult to assess in the absence of comparative material. The leaves vary in shape from ovate to elliptic and are variously sinuate to serrate or doubly serrate. Gerbera tomentosa is most easily confused with G. serrata , which has ± parallel-sided leaves and a distinctly subseriate involucre, and the two species overlap shortly in their distribution from the Riviersonderend Mountains to the Langeberg near Swellendam.

Gerbera tomentosa displays a wide range of variation in leaf morphology and indumentum. Some specimens from the Hottentots Holland Mountains are more densely felted than usual on the scapes and involucral bracts, and this is also especially evident in specimens from Bredasdorp, which have the leaves very densely yellowish–brownish felted. The lower leaf lobes do not usually decrease in size but we have seen one collection with broadly elliptic-obovate leaves with serrulate-lobed margins with the lobes decreasing in size basipetally. Some collections from Worcester ( Fig. 1H ) have unusually small leaves, with blades 28–35 × 15–20 mm, which is not typical for the species.

Additional collections examined.

South Africa. WESTERN CAPE. 3319 (Worcester): Badsberg, (− CA), 25 May 1963, Taylor 4811a (NBG); Bainskloof, (− CA), 17 Jan 1940, Compton 8367 (NBG), 17 Jan 1945, Compton 16,932 (NBG); Bainskloof Mt, basin of upper Witterivier, (− CA), 25 Feb 1933, Gillet 811 (NBG), Compton 16,932 (NBG); Wellington Sneeukop, (− CA), 9 Jan 1949, Esterhuysen 15,041 (BOL); Du Toit's Kloof, (− CA), Dec 1957, Stokoe s.n. (SAM); eastern end of Du Toit's Kloof, De La Bats Plaats 520, (− CA), 19 Dec 2008, Helme 5893 (NBG); Goudini, (− CB), Nov 1989, Holmes s.n. (NBG); La Motte State Forest, Assegaaiboschkloof, (− CC), 13 Feb 1969, Kruger 1738 (NBG); Klein Drakenstein Mnts, upper Bakkerskloof Catchment, (− CC), 1 Mar 1971, Kruger 1136 (NBG); Franschhoek Reserve, (− CC), 6 Aug 1958, Barker 2127a (NBG); Franschhoek Pass, (− CC), 2 Feb 1955, Barker 8836 (NBG); Berg River Hoek, (− CC), 1 Jan 1940, Compton 8344 (NBG); Wemmershoek, (− CC), 16 Dec 1940, Bond 745 (NBG), 16 Dec 1940, Esterhuysen 4073 (BOL); Villiersdorp, on mountain by Tol, (− CD), 23 Nov 1930, Nel 11,726 (NBG). 3418 (Simonstown): Betty's Bay, Harold Porter Botanic Garden , mountain slopes, (− BD), 2 Nov 1970, Ebersohn 143; Kogelberg Forest Reserve, Platberg, (− BD), 20 Dec 1968, Boucher 187 (NBG). 3419 (Caledon): Lebanon Forest Reserve, Catchment, (− AA), 23 Apr 1970, Haynes 326; Vogelgat Nature Reserve, (− AB), 29 Nov 1978, Williams 2649 (NBG), 15 Oct 1986, Stirton 11,173 (NBG); Kleinmond, (− AC), 19 Jan 1950, Werner s.n. (NBG); Hermanus, Kleinrivier Mtns, Fernkloof Nature Reserve, (− AD), 6 Oct 1986, Van Wyk 2693; Genadendal, (− BA), without date, Ecklon & Zeyher s.n. (SAM); Riversonderend Mts, Oudebos, (− BA), Apr 1930, Stokoe 2108 (NBG); western Riviersonderend Mts, (− BA), 18 Dec 2007, Helme 5176 (NBG); Riviersonderend, Skilpadkop, (− BA), 2 Jan 1953, Esterhuysen (BOL); Riviersonderend Mts, Kanonberg, Greyton above Platkloof, (− BA), 10 Dec 1974, Rycroft 3177 (NBG); Baviaansfontein near Gansbaai, (− CB), Aug 1940, Stokoe s.n. (BOL); 8 miles east of Gansbaai and Danger point, (− CB), Jan 1940, Stokoe s.n. (SAM); Franskraal, mountains on burnt patch, (− CB), 14 Nov 1954, Barker 8472 (NBG). 3420 (Bredasdorp): Swellendam, Bontebok Park, (− AB), 21 Sep 1965, Grobler 517 (NBG); Swellendam, The Crown Mt, (− AB), 26 Dec 1952, Wurts 544 (NBG); mountain above Bredasdorp village, (− CA), 9 Nov 1971, Barker 10,865 (NBG).

Figures

Fig. 9. Distribution of Gerbera tomentosa.

Fig. 2. Leaf upper and under surfaces in Gerbera section Gerbera. A.G. wrightii (Compton 15457, NBG).B. G. linnaei (Rourke I280, NBG).C. G. serrata (McDonald 1486, NBG). D. G.ovata (Goldblatt & Porter 12496, NBG). E. G. crocea (E1. Rourke 774, NBG. E2. Taylor 4383, NBG, note the glabrous under surface). F.G. sinuata (Lewis 6211, NBG).G. G. tomentosa (G1. Kruger 1136, NBG.G2.Nel s.n., NBG).H.G.grandis (Williams 3695, NBG).Scale bar = 10 mm.

Fig. 1. General morphology of Gerbera section Gerbera. A.G. wrightii; B & C.G.sinuata; D & E. G.linnaei; F.G.serrata; G. G. crocea, note the glabrous leaf under surface; H.G.tomentosa; I. Imbricate involucral bracts of G. tomentosa; J.Subseriate involucral bracts of G.crocea. Photographs: A:N.Helme; B, D, E, F, H: J.C.Manning; C: I.Ebrahim; G, I, J: T.Rebelo.