Echiostachys Levyns

Velani, N., Boatwright, J. S., Magee, A. R. & Manning, J. C., 2023, Taxonomy of the small southern African endemic genus Echiostachys Levyns (Boraginaceae: Boraginoideae), South African Journal of Botany 156, pp. 244-256 : 245

Echiostachys Levyns

in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 49: 445 (1934). Lectotype: Echiostachys incanus (Thunb.) Levyns , effectively designated by Phillips, Gen. S. African Fl. Pl.: 632 (1951).

Echium sect. Trichobasis DC. & A.DC . in Candolle, Prodr. 10: 13 (1846). Lobostemon sect. Trichobasis (DC. & A.DC.) G¨ urke in Nat. Pflanzenfam. [Engler and Prantl] IV, 3 A: 128 (1893). Type: E. caudatum Thunb . (= Echiostachys spicatus (Burm.f.) Levyns) , effectively designated by Johnston in J. Arnold Arbor. 34: 293 (1953).

Caespitose perennial herbs, producing one or more tufts of deciduous radical leaves annually, the flowering stem arising laterally at base of new growth; rootstock a woody taproot, slender or cylindrical-tapering, covered with maroon-purplish flaking bark. Radical leaves, linear-oblanceolate or elliptic, obtuse, acute or attenuate, narrowed and petiole-like below, adpressed strigose-villous with a mixture of short and longer hairs, hairs simple or pustular; cauline leaves on flowering stem smaller, sub-erect, linear-oblanceolate or elliptic, obtuse to attenuate, decreasing in size acropetally, indumentum as for radical leaves. Flowering stem villous or rarely subglabrous below. In fl orescence a pseudo-spike of numerous 1 to 4(6)-flowered cymules, ovoid to cylindrical, elongating in fruit; pedicels short, villous; bracts linear-oblanceolate or elliptic, lowermost leaf-like, villous. Calyx slightly accrescent, sepals 5, ± free, equal, linear-oblanceolate, adpressed-pilose or -sericeous on both surfaces. Corolla funnel-shaped, white, cream-coloured, pink, purplish or blue; tube sparsely pubescent on outer surface, mainly opposite filament insertion, bearded within between filament bases; lobes 5, obtuse, central veins sparsely hairy on inner surface or glabrous. Stamens subequal or usually one stamen shorter than others, epipetalous, attached near middle of tube, exserted; filaments bearded or tufted at base; anthers dorsifixed, subglobose. Style gynobasic, villous in basal third; stigma small. Ovary four-lobed. Fruit of four nutlets, nutlets ellipsoid with median ventral ridge, surface rugose-tuberculate or nearly smooth, echinulate with small glassy trichomes. Three species; South Africa, endemic to the south-western parts of the core Cape Floristic Region, in fynbos shrubland on sandy and loamy soils.

3.2. Key to the species

1a Corolla ± 12 mm long, white; radical leaves 15 − 50 mm wide; plants from deep coastal sands from St Helena Bay to Yzerfontein... 3. E. spicatus

1b Corolla 5 − 9 mm long, cream-coloured to purple; radical leaves 6 − 20 mm wide; plants from clay or loam soils from Clanwilliam to Swellendam:

2a Corolla whitish; radical leaves mostly attenuate apically, base sericeous; hairs at base of filaments in a brush-like tuft; nutlets rugose-tuberculate... 2. E. incanus

2b Corolla purplish, pinkish or blue; radical leaves obtuse, base strigose-villous; hairs at base of filaments in a linear beard extending shortly up free part; nutlets ± smooth... 1. E. ecklonianus