Cotula vulgaris Levyns, S. Afr.J. Bot.7: 133 (1941)

Powell, R. F., Boatwright, J. S. & Magee, A. R., 2014, A taxonomic revision of the Cotula coronopifolia group (Asteraceae) and implications for the conservation statuses of the species *, South African Journal of Botany 93, pp. 105-117 : 111-112

4. Cotula vulgaris Levyns, S. Afr.J. Bot.7: 133 (1941) ;

Levyns, in Adamson & Salter, Fl. Cap. Penins. 162 (1950); Goldblatt & Manning, Cape Pl.: 366 (2000); Manning & Goldblatt, Pl. Gr. C.F.R.: 366 (2012). Cotula filifolia Thunb. var. decumbens . Harv., in Harv. & Sond., Fl. Cap. 3: 179 (1865).

Type: [Western Cape] without precise locality, Cape of Good Hope [Cap. Bonae Spae], Wallich s.n. (TCD, lecto. -image! designated here. Kimage! isolecto.). [Note: The specimen designated as holotype by Levyns (1941), cannot be used as she was merely changing the rank of Harvey's C. fi lifolia var. decumbens to species level and therefore the type of this species must be selected from the original material cited in the protologue. There is only one such Wallich collection housed in Harvey's collection at TCD and this specimen is chosen here.]

Spreading, annual herb. Stems 50–350 mm, glabrous, herbaceous, 1.5–2.0 mm wide. Leaves alternate, spreading, entire, 5.0–40.0 × 1.0–2.0 mm, base dilated, forming a prominent sheath around the stem, sheath 1.0–5.0 mm long; leaves linear, ±terete, leathery, light to dark green, glabrous, apices acute, margins entire. Capitula heterogamous, disciform, solitary, terminal, pedunculate, peduncles glabrous to sparsely hairy, 8.0–35.0 mm. Involucre hemispherical, 1.0–5.0 × 3.0–9.0 mm, 1-seriate, bracts broadly ovate tapering to an obtuse apex, 2.0–4.0 × 2.0–3.0 mm, glabrous, green, opaque, apex and margins scarious, five to seven veined, secondary venation prominent. Receptacle flat, epaleate; infrequent basal swelling, disciform pedicels 0.6–1 mm at anthesis, linear, uniform, attaching to florets apically. Disciform fl orets female, ca.6 to 10, in single outer series, corolla absent, style 0.3 mm, ovary marginally winged, glabrous to hairy on inner face. Disc fl orets bisexual, ca. 35 to 50, corolla 1.0– 1.1 mm long, yellow, campanulate, tube not draped basally over ovary apex, longitudinal resin canals present, limb ± twice width of tube, 4 lobed; lobes triangular, upright to spreading, dorsally tuburculate, glandular; anthers 0.5–1.2 mm long (including apical appendages), ecaudate, apical appendages ovate, acute; style terete with thickened base; branches truncate, papillate apically–dorsally; ovary marginally ribbed, glabrous. Cypselas heteromorphic; disciform cypselas ovoid, ca. 1.8 × 1.2 mm, marginally winged, wing ½ width of ovary, base cordate, inner face glabrous to sparsely hairy; disc cypselas ovoid, ca. 1.7 × 0.8 mm, marginally ribbed, glabrous.

Diagnostic characters

Cotula vulgaris has often been mistaken for C. fi lifolia, especially smaller individuals of the former. Both species share usually entire, linear leaves and broadly ovate bracts. C. vulgaris is, however, distinguished by the marginally ribbed and glabrous disc ovaries ( Fig. 4.C 2 ) and fruit (marginally winged and with stout hairs in C. fi lifolia) and the larger campanulate disc florets, with a limb that is ±twice the width of the tube (smaller oblong disc florets in C. fi lifolia, with a limb that is slightly wider than the tube). C. vulgaris is also generally larger and more robust and seems to flower later than C. fi lifolia in localities where they co-occur.

Distribution, ecology and conservation status

Cotula vulgaris is a widespread species occurring from Hondeklip Bay to the Cape Peninsula and eastwards to Uitenhage ( Fig. 8 ). Despite the extensive loss and degradation of habitat, this species is still common, occurring in pools and damp places. It is, however, declining as a result of ongoing habitat loss and degradation, primarily due to urban and agricultural expansion, coastal development and alien invasive species. Its status has been downgraded to LC ( Powell et al., 2013d) as the revision has added an additional 27 localities to the distribution of this species, contrasting to the three known localities in the previous assessment.

A taxon endemic to Australia and currently treated as a variety of this species, viz. C. vulgaris var. australascia J.H.Willis ( Willis, 1957), is considered here rather to be a separate species. It shares the marginally ribbed ovary and fruit with C. vulgaris but lacks the distinctly broad corolla limb rather appearing like those of C. fi lifolia. However, as only a single specimen of this taxon was examined during the course of this study we refrain from making any such nomenclatural change until more Australian material can be studied.

Additional specimens examined

South Africa. NORTHERN CAPE: 3017 (Hondeklipbaai): South side of Hondeklipbaai (–AD), Pillans 18096 (BOL); Namaqualand, Groen River mouth (–DC), L e Roux & Parsons, 93 (NBG). WESTERN CAPE: 3217 (Vredenburg): Vredenburg, Limestone hill N of Saldanha (–DD), Goldblatt, Manning & Porter 13470 (NBG). 3218 (Clanwilliam): Verlorenvlei, ± 1 km south of road crossing vlei at estuary (–AD), Low 7667 (NBG); Rocher Pan Nature Reserve (–CB), Van Rooyen & Ramsey 98 (NBG); Aurora district, Farm “Drieheuwels” of Mr. J.H. Lambrechts (–CB), Schneider s.n. (NBG); Salt marsh south east corner of Blind Lagoon, Berg River (–CC), O'Callaghan 1170 (NBG); Near Sauer (–DC), Esterhuysen 30529 (BOL). 3318 (Cape Town): Yzerfontein, E of salt pan, Blombosch (–AC), Mucina & Jakubowsky 040806/11 (NBG); Tienie Versveld (–AD), Magee, Powell & Boatwright 1023 (NBG); N bank of Modder River, 500 m from mouth (–AD), O'Callaghan 1361 (NBG); Darling Flora Reserve (–AD), Lewis 5044, Winkler 156 (NBG). Swamp, Mamre hills (–CB), Compton 9824 (NBG); Robben Island (–CD), Walgate s.n., 461 (NBG), Adamson s.n. (BOL); Green Point (–CD), Thode 5848, (NBG) Pappe 38780, MacOwen 1772 (SAM); Paarden Eiland (–CD), Linder 2162 (BOL), Levyns 5158 (BOL), Salter 7443 (BOL); Kenilworth (–CD), Bolus 4574 (NBG); Kenilworth Race Course (–CD), Esterhuysen 32331, s.n. (BOL), Levyns 6775 (BOL); Camp Ground, Rondebosch (–CD), Levyns 6304 (BOL); Raapenberg, Mowbray (–CD), Guthrie 958 (BOL); Boland, Stellenbosch, on road between Klipheuwel and Stellenbosch, SW of Joostenberg (–DA), Mucina 261008/08 (NBG); Riverlands (–DA), Esterhuysen 34652 (BOL). 3418 (Simonstown): Rondevlei swamp (–AB), Compton 17533 (NBG); Noordhoek salt pan (–AB), Compton 15420 (NBG); Fish Hoek (–AB), Burchell s.n. (BOL); Kalk bay (–AB), Mais 4574 (BOL); Isoetes Vlei (–BA), Gubb 76, Dultie 10584 (NBG); Cape Flats, near German church (–BA), Pearson 42 (NBG); Zeekoe Vlei (–BA), Purcell 98062 (SAM), Wilman 214 (BOL), Page s.n. (BOL); Harmony Flats behind Gants Factory Site (–BB), Boucher 6895 (NBG); Paardevlei (–BB), Compton 17558 (BOL). 3419 (Caledon): Betty's Bay, Rooisand Nature Reserve (–AC), Ebrahim CR 3922 (NBG); Overberg, Fisherhaven, Sundown bay near Botrivier Lagoon (–AC), Mucina 311206/ 02 (NBG); Stanford Lagoon edge (–AD), Compton 19933 (NBG); Verdwaalkloof (–BA), Taylor 3740 (NBG); Die Poort (–BB), Levyns 4448 (BOL); Napier (–BD), Compton 9196 (NBG); Frikkies Bay (–CB), Compton 22138 (NBG); South Coast, Stanford, De Kelders (–CB), Mucina 100906/07A (NBG); South West Cape, Soutpan near turnoff to Springfontein on road to Brandfontein (–DB), Euston–Brown 23/1 (NBG); In profusion on western edge of Voëlvlei (–DB), Paterson–Jones 539 (NBG); On side of L'Agluhas/Elim road near the farm Soutbos (–DB), Paterson–Jones 429 (NBG); Agulhas Plain, road between Bosheuwel and Wiesdrif (–DB), Mucina 141006/19 (NBG); In swamp on Elim flats (–DD), Compton 9090 (NBG). 3420 (Bredasdorp): De Hoop, Potberg Nature Reserve (–BC), Burgers 1396 (NBG), Mucina 21006/16, 131007/03 (NBG), Mucina &Gasperi 131007/06 (NBG); De Hoop, Potberg on farm Elandspad on road to Witwater (–BC), Van Wyk 1880 (NBG); Rietfontein (–CA), Esterhuysen 36015 (BOL). Brandfontein (–CA), Esterhuysen 19046 (BOL). 3421 (Riversdale): Stilbaai ridge below reservoir (–AD), Bohnen 4252 (NBG). EASTERN CAPE: 3325 (Port Elizabeth): Uitenhage (–CD), Wolley 1544 (BOL). Precise locality unknown. Ecklon & Zeyher 190, 297 (SAM).

Figures

Fig.4.Floret variation showing the disciform and disc floret of each species in the Cotulacoronopifolia group.(A) C.myriophylloides: (A1) disciform floret;(A2) disc floret;(B) C.eckloniana: (B1) disciform floret,(B2) disc floret dorsal view,(B3) disc floret ventral view with ovary,(B4) disc floret ventral view without ovary; (C) C.vulgaris: (C1) disciform floret,(C2) disc floret; (D) C.fililfolia: (D1) disciform floret, (D2) disc floret; (E) C.pusilla: (E1) disciform floret, (E2) disc floret; (F) C.bipinnata: (F1) disciform floret, (F2) disc floret; (G) C.coronopifolia: (G1) disciform floret, (G2) disc floret. Vouchers: (A) Compton 15396 (NBG); (B) Mucina & Jakubowsky 040606/12 (NBG); (C) Gubb 76 (NBG); (D) Helme 3483 (NBG);(E) Jakubowsky 1/2007 (NBG); (F) Compton 11632 (NBG); (G) Oliver, TÖlken & Venter 313 (NBG).Scale = 1 mm. Artist R.F.Powell.

Fig. 2. Leaf variation in the Cotula coronopifolia group.(A) C.myriophylloides; (B) C.eckloniana; (C) C.vulgaris; (D) C.filifolia; (E) C.pusilla; (F) C.bipinnata; (G) C.coronopifolia, note that G3 illustrates the very divided leaves found in the Northern Cape populations.Vouchers:(A) Helme 5675 (NBG); (B) Barker 5788 (NBG); (C) Pappe 38780 (NBG); (D) Compton 9090 (NBG); (E) Schlechter 1066 (NBG); (F) Walgate 492 (NBG); (G) Le Roux & Ramsey 315 (NBG).Scale:A–D = 5 mm; E–G3 = 10 mm. Artist R.F. Powell.

Fig. 8. Known geographical distribution of Cotula vulgaris.