Chamaecrista capensis var. capensis, (Thunb.) E. Mey.

Musandiwa, Liada, Magee, Anthony R. & Boatwright, James S., 2022, A Taxonomic Revision of Chamaecrista (Caesalpinioideae, Cassieae, Cassiinae) in Southern Africa, Systematic Botany (Basel, Switzerland) 47 (4), pp. 992-1011 : 999

3a. CHAMAECRISTA CAPENSIS (Thunb.) E.Mey. var. CAPENSIS

Gordon-Gray, F.S.A. 16 (2): 98 (1977).

Perennial herbs to 0.3 m long. Stems prostrate or decumbent, multiple stemmed, with short appressed or long scattered greyish hairs. Leaves with circular or concave extrafloral nectaries raised on small stalk. Leaflets (5)14–22-jugate. Pedicels at flowering (18) 20–38 mm long.

Diagnostic Characters — Chamaecrista capensis var. capensis has prostrate or decumbent stems, with appressed or short hairs, sometimes with a few long scattered hairs, and extrafloral nectaries that are raised on a small stalk.

Distribution and Ecology — Chamaecrista capensis var. capensis is widespread from Pomfret in North West, through Nkandla and Port Edward in KwaZulu-Natal, to Peddie in the Eastern Cape extending to Pilgrim’ s Rest in Mpumalanga ( Fig. 6 ). Grows in grassland in loamy soil, at elevations below 1600 m. Flowering from October–March.

Additional Specimens Examined — South Africa. — NORTH WEST: 2523 (Pomfret): near Bathurst (–CB), 18 Nov 1928, Hutchinson 1559 ( PRE) . — MPUMALANGA: 2430 (Pilgrims Rest): Blyde Nature Reserve (–DB), 7 Mar 2000, Lotter 772 ( PRE) . KwaZulu-Natal: 2630 (Carolina): Sonstraal farm ca. 9 km from turnoff on Waverly road (–BB), 11 Jan 1984, Germishuizen 2944 ( PRE) ; 21 km from Panbult on road to Amersfoort (–CD), 12 Jan 1984, Germishuizen 2990 ( PRE) . 2831 (Nkandla): Nkadla forest (–CA), 2 Jan 1964, Hilliard 2649 ( NU) . 3130 (Port Edward): Umtamvuna Nature Reserve (–AA), 19 Mar 2018, Musandiwa 19 ( NBG) ; Mzamba Engonyama River (–AA), 08 Jan 1987, Abbott 3445 ( NH) . — EASTERN CAPE: 3226 (Fort Beaufort): Alice, Seymour near Brambledene (–DD), 7 Jan 1944, Barker 2895 ( NBG) . 3227 (Stutterheim): NE of Stutterheim (–BC), 17 Mar 1995, Victor 922 ( PRE) . 3325 (Port Elizabeth): Steynsburg (–DC), 16 Feb 1909, Paterson 479 ( PRE) ; Port Elizabeth (–DC), 10 Jan 1949, Theron 574 ( PRE) . 3326 (Makhanda): Boknesstrand, ca. 7 km SW of Kenton-on Sea (–DA), 11 Nov 1984, Burrows 2503 ( PRE) ; Boknesstrand (–DB), 5 Nov 2017, Nemando and Musandiwa 42 ( NBG) ; Port Alfred (–DB), 31 Dec 1942, Barker 2178 ( NBG) . 3327 (Peddie): East London (–AA), Dec 1981, Hilner 154 ( PRE) .

Figures

FIG. 6. Distribution of Chamaecrista capensis var. capensis (-) and Chamaecrista capensis var. flavescens (O) in southern Africa.