Aspalathus barbigera R.Dahlgren

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 : 44-46

3.9. Aspalathus barbigera R.Dahlgren in Bot, Notiser 120: 29 (1967);

in Flora S. Africa 16: 129 (1988)

Type: South Africa. Western Cape Province, Bredasdorp (3420): 2 miles east of Kathoek (− AD), Dahlgren and Strid 4182 ( NBG, BOL, LD, PRE, S) .

Dahlgren (1988) mentions in his account of this species that it is known from only the type locality and was found growing “on a small dry hill with clayey substrate in mixed renosterveld”. Recently we collected it in old unburned vegetation at two new localities: Goreesoe Farm, between Bredasdorp and the N2 (Stirton and Muasya 13,566, BOL) and near Sonderkoskop, Plaatjieskraal Farm (Stirton, Muasya and Curtis 13,602, 13,606, BOL). Aspalathus barbigera is found in Eastern Rûens Shale Renosterveld (FRs13) and Rûens Silcrete Renosterveld (FRs2) ( Rebelo et al., 2006), growing on South East facing slopes on clay with quartz pebbles ( Fig. 5 ).

Aspalathus barbigera is related to and has been confused with A. cephalotes Thunb. subsp. cephalotes but differs in its distribution (more eastern and not overlapping) and on the more villous longer hairs on the calyx tube and longer petals.

3.9.1. Additional specimen studied

South Africa. Western Cape: 3420 (Bredasdorp): en route to Sonderkoskop, Plaatjieskraal Farm (− AD), 7 Dec. 2011, Stirton, Muasya and Curtis 13,602 ( BOL) ; Sonderskop, Farm Plaatjieskraal (− AD), 7 Dec. 2011, Stirton, Muasya and Curtis 13,606 ( BOL) ; Goreesoe Farm en route to Bredasdorp , 26 Nov. 2011, Stirton, Muasya and Curtis 13,566 ( BOL) ; Potteberg (− BB), 8 Dec. 2012, O. Curtis (personal communication, photographic record) .

3.9.2. Conservation status

The South African Red Data Book ( Raimondo et al., 2009) lists Aspalathus barbigera as VU B1ab(iii), noting that that “70% of this species” habitat has been transformed by wheat cultivation and that only seven locations remain and that it is declining due to a loss of habitat quality through alien plant invasions, overgrazing and too infrequent fire”. They note, and we concur, that grazing is a moderate ongoing threat as the species is highly palatable. It does not occur in any protected area.

Figures

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.