Stoebe montana Schlechter ex Levyns (1937: 32)

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

9. Stoebe montana Schlechter ex Levyns (1937: 32) . Type :— SOUTH AFRICA. Ceres, Gydouwberg, 5800 ft, Schlechter 10233 (BOL!, holotype; PRE!, G!, E! isotypes).

Small, much branched, somewhat spreading, woody undershrub, 0.15 m tall. Branches very densely leafy, with an arachnoid hair covering. Leaves up to 8 mm long, linear, involute, twisted, thickened towards the apex, tips obtuse; abaxially glabrescent, dark green, clearly contrasting with the white adaxial hairs; adaxially woolly. Synflorescences in tight, globose, terminal aggregations, 5–9 mm in diam., sometimes with subterminal capitula clusters in leaf axils. Capitula homogamous, discoid, 1-flowered. Receptacle reduced to short stalks on an inflated branch tip. Involucral bracts 10, in few rows; outermost leafy and woolly; innermost dark brown, glossy, scarious, somewhat acute, winged in the upper part, as long as the corolla tube. Florets bisexual, pink, corolla 2.5 mm long; corolla lobes spreading, about one quarter the length of the tube. Stamens 5, apical appendage lanceolate, basally tailed. Style bifid, base slightly swollen. Nectaries present. Cypselas ribbed, short-hairy, hairs stout, increasing somewhat in length below the upper rim. Pappus absent. Flowering mainly in January, occasionally in February and March.

Distribution and habitat: — Western Cape Mountains. Figure 27 .

Ecology: — Mountainous areas amongst Table Mountain Sandstone rocks, at high elevations, 1 700–2 300 m.

Conservation status: —Rare.

Additional specimens examined:— SOUTH AFRICA, Western Cape. Koude Bokkeveld in Monte Gydoberg (3319AD), 19 January 1897, Schlechter 10233 (BOL, E, G, PRE); Gydo Berg (3319AD), 19 January 1897, Schlechter 4318 (PRE); Worcester, Matroosberg upper slopes (3319BC), 7 April 1958, Esterhuysen 27709 (BOL, PRE); Worcester, Matroosberg , upper slopes and plateau between Matroosberg and Sonklip (3319BC), 17 January 1959, Esterhuysen 28121 (BOL, E, K, NBG, S); Worcester dist. , near base of Sonklip Peak along the ridge

STOEBE AND SERIPHIUM ( GNAPHALIEAE )

Phytotaxa 242 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press • 69 towards Matroosberg (3319BC), 4 March 1972, Esterhuysen 32837 (BOL, PRE); Worcester, Matroosberg, Nfacing slopes, common on upper slopes and top of mountain (3319BC), 1 February 1990, Koekemoer 360 (BOL, PRE); Ceres dist., Bokkeveld Sneeukop, on steep rather peaty slopes with step ledges, on WSW slopes (3319CA), 31 March 1963, Esterhuysen 30105 (BOL, K).

Figures

FIGURE 27:—Known distribution of Stoebe montana in South Africa.