Antiphiona fragrans (Merxmüller) Merxmüller (1954: 432)

Koekemoer, Marinda, 2018, A taxonomic revision of the genus Antiphiona (Inuleae, Asteraceae), including a report of the first collection of the genus for South Africa, Phytotaxa 347 (1), pp. 50-58 : 54-55

Antiphiona fragrans (Merxmüller) Merxmüller (1954: 432) .

Basionym:— Iphiona fragrans Merxmüller (1950: 44) . Type:— NAMIBIA. Zisabschlucht. 3 October 1929, R. & F. v. Wettstein 177 (M, holotype).

Perennial multi-stemmed shrubs, 0.4–1.5 m tall and spreading horizontally up to 3 m, woody at the base and glandular all over, strongly aromatic; plants green at first but leaves and capitula turning reddish with age. Leaves lush yellowish green, glandular, often very densely clustered towards the branch tips, variable shapes, often arcuate, from deeply divided with 2–3 lobe pairs to bi-pinnatisect with 4–7 pairs of pinnae, lamina flat, wider than 1 mm along the veins, rarely very delicate and finely divided with much narrower lamina. Primary leaves 10–18(–60) mm long, axillary leaves proportionally shorter. Capitula 11–13 mm long at maturity, 20–30-flowered, cylindrical when in full flower but involucre spreading widely, completely reflexed at achene maturity. Involucral bracts in 5–6 series, increasing in length from outer to inner, innermost involucral bracts 10–11 mm long, margins toothed, outer surface covered in hairs and glands similar to those on the leaves. Florets yellow below, reddish above, 5-lobed, lobes erect, outer surface covered in short rigid trichomes. Style bifid, branches obtuse with sweeping hairs in upper half. Pappus in a single row of barbed capillary bristles as long as floret tubes, slightly exerted from the capitula at maturity, bristle shaft flattened with short barbes protruding at a slight angle. Achenes about 1.5–2 mm long, not distinctly ribbed, evenly covered in rigid, white, upward-facing twin hairs. Flowering between March and September but occasionally also in other months. Flowering times are presumably linked to unpredictable rainfall patterns.

Conservation status: —Least concerned. Reported to be common where specimens were collected.

Distribution and habitat: —This species is widespread and common, although quite habitat-specific. It favours granite hill slopes, sandy valleys and watercourses in open woodland and dwarf shrub land in well-drained stony soil, generally in full sun. It is found at altitudes of 500–1650 m.

Additional specimens examined: — NAMIBIA, Erongo, Swakopmund District, Swakopmund: Brandberg (2114 AB), 3 September 1988, Bohlmann 88/115 ( WIND) ; Kunene, Outjo District: Damaraland ; common on the west side of rocky mountain slope of Doros (2014 CD), 10 April 1977, Craven & Craven 457 ( WIND) ; Kaokoveld ; Cunene Gorge (1712 BA), 12 July 1959, Davies, Thompson & Miller 127B ( PRE) ; Kaokoveld ; Kunene Gorge, in Kunene Gorge about 4 mi. from exit at W. end (1712 BA), 4 July 1959, Davies, Thompson & Miller 53 ( PRE, WIND) ; Kunene, Outjo District: At Hartmann mountains on Kunene, at Otjinungua (1712 AD), 8 May 1957, De Winter & Leistner 5764 ( PRE, WIND) ; Kunene, Outjo District: 23 miles NW of Sesfontein on road to Purros , in stoney river (1913 AB), 23 June 1960, Giess 3197 ( PRE, WIND) ; Erongo, Swakopmund District, Swakopmund: Otjihorongo Reserve . Between rocks on granite koppie south of Ugab river on the road Amatjete [Omatjete]— Welwitschia road (2014 DD), 27 August 1962, Giess 5021 ( PRE, WIND) ; Erongo, Swakopmund District, Swakopmund: Eastern foot of Brandberg in direction to ‘ White Lady’ (2114 AB), 14 October 1985, Greuter 20316/9065a ( WIND) ; Kaokoveld ; Orupembe (1812 BA), 12 June 1951, Hall 416 ( PRE) ; Kunene, Outjo District: Along C35 to Ruacana (1814 CD), 4 March 2003, Klaassen 882 ( PRE, WIND) ; Fransfontein (2015 AA), May 1949, Liebenberg 4931 ( PRE) ; Kunene, Outjo District: Gorge at Nowantes ( Okanjambo ) (1812 BB), 28 January 1958, Merxmüller & Giess 1437 ( WIND) ; Erongo, Swakopmund District, Swakopmund: Brandberg , side gorge of Tsisab (2114 AB), 18 February 1958, Merxmüller & Giess 1672 ( PRE, WIND) ; Kaokoveld ; Okonjombo (1812 BD), 28 January 1958, Merxmüller 1437 ( PRE) ; Kunene, Outjo District: Okonjombo (1812 BD), 20 February 1973, Owen-Smith & Malan 312 ( WIND) ; Damaraland (2114 BA), 14 October 1976, Scholtz 30 ( PRE) ; Kunene, Outjo District: Farm Stienie (1915 CC), 11 March 1953, Schwerdtfeger 2/129 ( WIND) ; Kaokoveld ; Kunene (1712 AD), 17 August 1956, Story 5854 ( PRE) ; Rehoboth dist.; Buellsport farm (2416 AB), 14 August 1948, Strey 2410 ( PRE) ; Kunene District: Sesfontein ; Dry watercourse in granite North of Sesfontein and East of Giribes plain. (1913 BA), 13 September 1995, Sullivan 354 ( PRE, WIND) ; Kunene, Outjo District: Sesfontein, Anabeb : mountains, rocks (1913 BA), 23 June 1992, Van den Eynden 23.6.1 ( WIND) ; Kunene, Outjo District: 12 km south of Otjiboronbongo. Baynes Mountains (1712 BB), 27 June 2000, Van Jaarsveld 16478 ( WIND) ; Hilldown , 19 July 1939, Volk 2430 ( PRE) ; Kunene, Outjo District: On Farm Krenzhof and in gorge of south-eastern Brandberg (2014 BB), 27 February 1975, Von Koenen 61 ( WIND) ;