Aspalathus modesta C.H.Stirt. & Muasya, 2016

Stirton, C. H. & Muasya, A. M., 2016, Seven new species and notes on the genus Aspalathus (Crotalarieae, Fabaceae) *, South African Journal of Botany 104, pp. 35-46 : 40-41

3.4. Aspalathus modesta C.H.Stirt. & Muasya , sp. nov.

Type: South Africa. Eastern Cape Province, Graaff Reinett (3324): Bosrug (− AA), 14 Mar. 2012, Euston-Brown 1901 ( BOL, holo.!; NBG!, K!, iso.) .

Small shrub to 0.6 m tall, reseeder. Stems single, branching near the base. Branches arcuate to erect giving the plant a vase-shaped habit, young branches densely silvery woolly. Lea fl ets 5–6 × 0.5–0.7 mm, linear, slightly flattened on abaxial surface, erect, incurved, densely woolly, arranged in dense clusters of leaflets on densely ciliate bases each base with 12–30 leaflets. In fl orescences 1-flowered, axillary in centre of lateral leaf clusters towards ends of seasonal branches. Flowers 10 mm long, pale yellow, longer than subtending leaves; pedicel 1–2 mm long, hairy; bracts 3 mm long, linear, incurved, hairy, inserted at base of the pedicel; bracteoles situated just above bracts, subulate, incurved, hairy. Calyx 8 mm long, campanulate, densely hairy on both inner and outer faces; teeth subequal, subulate, 4–5 mm long, laterals and vexillar teeth shorter than carinal tooth; tube 3 mm long, shorter than teeth. Standard blade 11 × 10 mm, broadly obovate, emarginate, densely sericeous on whole back, hairy on upper third of inner face, base of inner upper third of face densely hairy; back of apex pinkish; claw 3 mm, sharply recurved, sparsely hairy in upper part. Wing blades 9.0 × 2.5 mm, shorter than keel petals, hairy on lower third, linear; petal sculpturing distinct, comprised of 4–5 rows of 10–30 lunate folds, upper basal and upper central, above the billowy midline deep pocket near auricle; claw 3 mm, upcurved. Keel petals 11 × 4 mm, blade hairy all over except for upper margin, 6 mm long, auriculate, obtuse, with well-developed pocket; claw 4 mm long. Androecium 11–12 mm long, with 5 basifixed and 5 dorsifixed, versatile anthers; tenth stamen fused to sheath. Pistil 10 mm long; ovary 3 mm long, shaggy, stalked, ovules 2; style gently upcurved, hairy along upper margin to point of inflexion; stigma flattened, penicillate. Fruits 11 × 5 mm, densely shaggy, silvery, obliquely ovate; seeds unknown. Fig. 6.

3.4.1. Etymology

The specific epithet is from the Latin modestus (modest, unassuming) and refers to its superficial similarity to A. karooënsis R. Dahlgren.

3.4.2. Diagnostic characters

Aspalathus modesta is a distinctive species that falls into Dahlgren's (1988) Group 33: Calcicolae. It is an erect shrub clothed with densely packed silvery leaves superficially similar to A. karooënsis , a species distinguished by its leaves (6) 7–12 mm (versus 5–6 mm) long; flowers equal to or shorter- (versus longer-) than subtending leaves; flowers 8–9 mm (versus 10 mm) long; wing and keel petals glabrous (versus hairy); and style glabrous (versus hairy along upper margin to point of inflexion).

3.4.3. Distribution and habitat

Aspalathus modesta occurs at an altitude of ca. 1340 m in Eastern Inland Shale Band Vegetation and perhaps also on adjacent Kouga Grassy Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 28) ( Rebelo et al., 2006). It is localised on a shale band in a saddle on top of the mountains of Bosrug in the Baviaanskloof Mountains in the Eastern Cape Province ( Fig. 5 ). Flowering takes place from January to February.

3.4.4. Conservation status

Little is known about the biology of this plant. Its population is unlikely to be more than 1000 plants, and the species could thus be classified as vulnerable (VU D1) under the IUCN Red list categories and criteria ( IUCN, 2001).

3.4.5. Additional specimen studied

South Africa. Eastern Cape: 3323 (Willowmore): Vleikloof, NE of Smutsberg, Kouga Mountains (− DB), Thompson 2000 ( NBG) .

Figures

Fig. 6. Aspalathus modesta. (A) habit and habitat; (B) habit; (C) side view of flower; (D) leaves; (E) fruit.

Fig. 5. Known distribution of Aspalathus barbigera (open circle), A. eriocephaloides (cross), A. eustonbrownii (black circle), A. macrocarpa (grey square), A. modesta (black square), A.nickhelmei (black triangle) and A. usnoides (grey circle) in Western and Eastern Cape Provinces.