Seriphium saxatilis (Levyns) Koekemoer, 2016

Koekemoer, Marinda, 2016, A monograph of Stoebe and Seriphium (Gnaphalieae, Asteraceae) in southern Africa and neighbouring islands, Phytotaxa 242 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

8. Seriphium saxatilis (Levyns) Koekemoer , comb. nov. Stoebe saxatilis Levyns (1937: 21) . Type :— SOUTH AFRICA. Elandskloof , Cold Bokkeveld, Levyns 4910 (BOL!, holotype).

An intricately branched shrub, up to 0.6 m tall. Branches woolly when young, becoming more or less glabrous with age, secondary and tertiary branches at right angles, respectively to primary and secondary branches, densely leafy. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 2.5 mm long, incurved, antrorse, closely and somewhat obliquely set, both surfaces densely woolly. Synflorescences terminal, small clusters of easily distinguishable capitula, occasionally with a few subterminal clusters. Capitula 1-flowered. Receptacle stalk-like. Involucral bracts 10–12, in few rows, outer short and similar to the leaves; inner scarious, acute, about the length of the florets. Disc florets bisexual, 3 mm long, upper part plum-red; corolla lobes small erect, triangular, slightly reflexed at maturity. Stamens 5, apical appendages narrowly lanceolate, basally tailed. Style bifid, branches exserted and reflexed at maturity, base bulbous. Nectaries absent. Cypselas not seen. Pappus setae 16–20, slightly joined at the base, about two thirds the length of the corolla. Flowering April to May.

Distribution: — Western Cape: from the Cederberg and Cold Bokkeveld, south to Wellington and Worcester. Figure 17 .

40 • Phytotaxa 242 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press

KOEKEMOER

Ecology: —Appears to favor median elevations between 1000–1600 m, and are most frequently found in rock crevices.

Conservation status: —Least Concern.

Notes: —A very narrow species concept is applied to this taxon. In a wider sense, this could possibly be a form of Se. plumosum or Se. cinereum . In Se. plumosum , there are some specimens with leaves identical to the typical Se. saxatilis , although the inflorescences are in long cylindrical, necklace-string arrangements.

Additional specimens examined:— SOUTH AFRICA, Western Cape. Ceres, Chavonnesberg, Waaihoek Mts., 31 March 1934, Galpin 12744 (K, PRE); Rogers 17583 (BOL); Clanwilliam div., top of Uitkyk Pass (3219AA), 11 March 1938, Acocks 8597 (K, PRE); Cederberg, Uitkyk Pass, 5 km from Algeria (3219AA), 22 March 1996, Koekemoer 1230 (PRE); Clanwilliam, Sneeuwberg, S Cederberg (3219AC), 12 April 1952, Esterhuysen 20058 (BOL, K, NBG, PRE); Cederberg, Algeria Forest Reserve, top of Uitkyk Pass (3219AC), 8 March 1991, Koekemoer 596 (PRE); Cederberg, southern foot of Uitkyk Pass in flats (3219AC), 8 March 1991, Koekemoer 599 (PRE); Cederberg State Forest (3219AC), 10 March 1983, Le Maitre 351 (PRE); Clanwilliam div., Cederberg near Algeria For. Station (3219AC), March 1940, Stokoe SAM56925 (SAM); Summit of koppie ca. 1km E of Welbedacht Homestead (3219AC), 22 May 1986, Taylor 11527 (NBG); Ceres, old Elands Kloof (3219CA), 24 March 1951, Compton 22677 (NBG); Elandskloof (3219CA), 25March 1951, Esterhuysen 18454 (BOL); Clanwilliam dist., Apex Peak, S Cederberg, rocky lower W slopes (3219CA), 1 April 1961, Esterhuysen 28954 (BOL, S); Elandskloof (3219CA), 20 April 1935, Levyns 4894 (BOL); Elandskloof (3219CA), 20 April 1935, Levyns 4901 (BOL); Elandskloof, Cold Bokkeveld (3219CA), 21 April 1935, Levyns 4910 (BOL); Elandskloof (3219CA), 21 April 1935, Levyns 4922 (BOL); Clanwilliam, southern Cederberg (3219CA), April 1947, Stokoe SAM63080 (SAM); Ceres, Schoongesicht Peak, Cold Bokkeveld Mts., shale sands and rocky slopes below (3219CC), 4 April 1953, Esterhuysen 21290 (BOL, PRE); Olifantsrivier Mt., via Dasklip Pass above Porterville (3219CC), 23 March 1996, Koekemoer 1243 (PRE); E foot of Schurweberg, Ceres div. (3219CD), 19 April 1946, Esterhuysen 12671 (BOL, PRE); Ceres. Schurweberg (N of Bokkeveld Tafelberg). Sandy rocky base (3219CD), 19 April 1954, Esterhuysen 22884 (BOL, PRE); Tulbagh, Waterval Kloof (3319AA), March 1940, Esterhuysen 1692 (BOL); Ceres, 2 km on Witzenberg turn-off from Gydo Pass (3319AB), 22 March 1996, Koekemoer 1237 (PRE); Ceres, top of Gydo Pass (3319AB), March 1951, Stokoe SAM65885 (PRE, SAM); Ceres Nat. Res. (3319AD), 17 March 1988, Brusse 5395 (BOL, PRE); Ceres div., Ceres Peak, slopes above Michells Pass (3319AD), 24 May 1941, Esterhuysen 5197 (BOL, NBG, PRE); Worcester div., Buffelshoek (3319AD), 28 April 1942, Esterhuysen 7810 (BOL); Worcester, Milner Peak, slope between lower plateau andmid-slopes below Milner Vlakte (3319AD), 31 May 1982, Taylor 10382 (NBG); Ceres, Swartruggens, NE of Onverwacht (3319BA), 16 June 1965, Acocks 23662 (K, PRE); Hex River Pass (3319BD), 13 January 1951, R.L.D. 24934 (PRE); Paarl dist.: Bainskloof on the rocky hillside between cottages and the gravel rd. to Happy Valley (3319CA), 26 April 1975, Esterhuysen 33818 (BOL, S); Robertson-Worcester, slopes at NE foot of Keeromsberg (3319DA), 18 April 1954, Esterhuysen 22855 (BOL, PRE); Ceres, W slopes of Longklip Peak, 29 May 1960, Esterhuysen 28485 (BOL);

Figures

FIGURE 17:—Known distribution of Seriphium saxatilis in South Africa.