Cotula fi lifolia Thunb., Fl. Cap. 695 (1823), Thunb.

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 : 110-111

3. Cotula fi lifolia Thunb., Fl. Cap. 695 (1823) ;

Spreng., in Linn., Syst.Veg 3: 497 (1826); DC. Prodr. 77 (1838); Harv., in Harv. & Sond., Fl. Cap. 3: 179 (1865); Levyns, in Adamson & Salter, Fl. Cap. Penins. 162 (1950); Goldblatt & Manning, Cape Pl.: 366 (2000); Manning & Goldblatt, Pl. Gr. C.F.R.: 366 (2012).

Type: South Africa. Western Cape, Cape Town (3318): Zoutrivier (–CD), Thunberg s.n. sub THUNB-UPS 20219 (UPS, lecto. -image!, designated here).

Upright annual herb. Stems 30–150 mm, glabrous, herbaceous, 0.5–1.5 mm wide. Leaves alternate, spreading, entire, sometimes once-pinnate, 0.5–25.0 × 1.0–2.0 mm, base dilated, forming a prominent sheath around the stem, sheath 1.0–3.0 mm long; lobes linear, 0.5–25 × 1.0– 1.8 mm, ±terete, leathery, dark green, glabrous, apices acute, margins entire. Capitula heterogamous, disciform, solitary, terminal, pedunculate peduncle glabrous to sparsely hairy, 30.0–75.0 mm. Involucre hemispherical, 3.0–6.0 × 4.0–6.0 mm, 1-seriate, bracts broadly ovate tapering to an obtuse apex, 2.0–5.0 × 2.0–4.0 mm, glabrous, green, opaque, apex and margin scarious, four to six veined, secondary venation prominent. Receptacle flat, epaleate; pedicels linear, pedicels 0.4–2.0 mm at anthesis, uniform, attaching to floret apically. Disciform fl orets female, ca. 6, in single outer series, corolla absent, style 0.2 mm, ovary marginally winged, usually with stout flat hairs on inner face. Disc fl orets bisexual, ca. 20 to 40, corolla 0.95–1.1 mm long, yellow, oblong, tube not draped basally over ovary apex, longitudinal resin canals present, limb slightly wider than tube, 4 lobed; lobes triangular, upright to spreading, dorsally tuberculate, slightly 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 winged, usually with stout flat hairs on inner face. Cypselas heteromorphic; disciform cypselas ovoid, ca. 1.4 × 1.0 mm, marginally winged, wing ½ width of ovary, base cordate, inner face usually with stout flat hairs on inner face; disc cypselas ovoid, ca. 1.6 × 0.9 mm, marginally winged, wing ⅓ width of ovary, inner face usually with stout flat hairs.

Diagnostic characters

Cotula fi lifolia has in the past often been confused with C. vulgaris , with which it shares the usually entire leaves and broadly ovate bracts ( Fig. 2.C–D and Fig. 3.C–D ). It is, however, readily distinguished by the marginally winged disc ovaries ( Fig. 4.D 2 ) and fruit with stout hairs (marginally ribbed and glabrous in C. vulgaris ) and the smaller oblong disc florets with a limb that is only slightly wider than the tube (campanulate and limb ± twice as wide as tube in C. vulgaris ). C. fi lifolia is also generally smaller and more slender and appears to flower earlier than C. vulgaris where they co-occur.

Distribution, ecology and conservation status

Cotula fi lifolia is a widespread but localised habitat specialist, common on the Cape West Coast ( Fig. 7 ). It is found in marshy areas, damp places and freshwater pool margins, often with C. vulgaris . Subpopulations on the Cape Peninsula have shown a great decline, with many subpopulations now locally extinct as a result of habitat loss to urban expansion. This species has been downgraded to NT B2ab(ii,iii,iv,v) ( Powell et al., 2013c), and is still threatened by habitat loss due to coastal development, agricultural expansion and alien invasive species.

Additional specimens examined

South Africa. NORTHERN CAPE: 3017 (Hondeklipbaai): Namaqualand, Hondeklipbaai (–AD), Mucina & Jakubowsky 040906/08 (NBG). WESTERN CAPE: 3217 (Vredenburg): Vredenburg, southern edge of Paternoster, near Lizaseklip (–DD), Helme 3483 (NBG). 3218 (Clanwilliam): Berg River, Veldrif (–CC), Hugo 2972 (NBG), Magee, Powell & Boatwright 1026 (NBG); ± 5 km S of St. Helena, pan just west of Langeklip Farm (–CC), Helme 562 (NBG). 3318 (Cape Town): Yzerfontein, Skaapeiland, Wanderpad (–AC), Mucina & Jakubowsky 040806/14 (NBG); Darling, Tiene Versveld Flower Reserve (–AD), Mucina & Jakubowsky 040806/10 (NBG), Magee, Powell & Boatwright 1022 (NBG); Northern part of Paarden-eiland, small dune south of mouth of Jakkals River (–CD), TÖlken 80 (NBG). Paarden Island (–CD), Salter 7444 (BOL); Pools around Cape Town (–CD), MacOwen 3097 (SAM); Salt River (–CD), Ecklon & Zeyher 838 (SAM); Green Point (–CD), Ecklon & Zeyher 38779 (SAM). 3418 (Simonstown): Little Lion's head (–AB), Stokoe 63990 (SAM); Chapman's Peak (–AB), Esterhuysen 23969 (BOL); Kommetjie (–AB), Adamson 7309 (BOL). 3419 (Caledon): South Coast, Stanford, De Kelders (–CB), Mucina 100906/07B (NBG); Overberg, Gansbaai, Uilkraalsmond Estuary (–CB), Mucina 100906/10 (NBG); Uilkraals River, N bank of river 1.5 km from bridge (–CB), O'Callaghan 6/8/14 (NBG). 3420 (Bredasdorp): Cape Agulhas (–CC), Salter 4821 (BOL).

Figures

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. 3. Bract variation in the Cotula coronopifolia group. (A) C. myriophylloides; (B) C. eckloniana, outer (B1) and inner (B2) bracts; (C) C. vulgaris; (D) C. filifolia; (E) C.pusilla; (F) C. bipinnata; (G) C. coronopifolia.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.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. 7. Known geographical distribution of Cotula filifolia.