Othonna auriculifolia Less.

Magoswana, Luvo, Boatwright, Stephen, Magee, Anthony & Manning, John, 2022, A taxonomic revision of the Othonna auriculifolia Less. group (Asteraceae: Senecioneae: Othonninae), Bothalia, African Biodiversity & amp; Conservation 52 (1), pp. 1-9 : 3-8

2. Othonna auriculifolia Less. in Linnaea 6: 93 (1831) [as ‘ auriculaefolia’];

DC., Prodromus 6: 481 (1838); Harv. in Flora Capensis 3: 340 (1865).

Type: South Africa, [? Northern Cape]: ‘ Roggeveld Majo’, without date, Lichtenstein s.n. in Herb. Willdenow 16734 ( B-W 167340 -10 , holo.—image!) .

[Note: The name has until now been cited as ‘Licht. ex Less.’ based on Lessing’s (1831) citation of the taxon as ‘ O. auriculaefolia Lichtenstein in herb. W. No. 16734’ but we find no evidence that Lichtenstein used this name and interpret this entry as merely a citation of the type specimen.]

Othonna cyanoglossa DC. , Prodromus 6: 481 (1838).

Type: South Africa, [Western Cape]: ‘ Carro, Pietermeintjesfontein′ [ Matjiesfontein ], June 1838, Drège [6078] ( G-DC, holo.—microfiche!, P-0004607 —image!, syn.) .

Othonna lactucifolia DC. , Prodromus 6: 482 (1838) [as ‘ lactucaefolia ′].

Type: South Africa, [Eastern Cape]: ‘in Africâ Capensi ad Graaf-Reynet′ [ Graaff-Reinet ], Aug. 1838, Drège [6077] ( G-DC, holo.—microfiche!, P-000460 — image!, syn.) .

Othonna picridioides DC. , Prodromus 6: 482 (1838).

Type: South Africa, ‘in Africae Capensi deserto Carro′ , Aug. 1838, Drège [6077] ( G- DC-00498513 , holo.—image!, P-0004605 — image!, syn.) .

Othonna auriculifolia var. arctotoides Harv. in Flora Capensis. 3: 340 (1865), syn. nov.

Type: South Africa, ‘ Wolve River′ , May [?1842], Burke s.n., ( K-0003037010 , lecto., designated here ; K-0003037009 , isolecto.!). [Other original material: South Africa, without locality , Zeyher 992 (? TCD, not located, P-0004616 — image!, syn.)] .

[ Othonna pimulina Schltr , nom. inval. ms., non. DC., Prodromus 6: 479 (1838):

Associated specimens: South Africa, [Northern Cape] ‘ Onder-Bokkeveld, Oorlogkloof′ , 21 Aug. 1897, Schlechter 10962 ( BR-0000008876379 image! , BR-0000008877390 , K-306927 image! , PH-20047 image! , S-08-8797 )] .

Deciduous geophyte, to 250 mm, stem subterranean, condensed, appearing unbranched, felted at crown; rootstock cylindrical to turnip-shaped. Leaves emergent or fully developed at flowering, crowded basally, prostrate or spreading to sub-erect, base narrowed and petiole-like or evidently petiolate, blade narrowly oblong to obovate or suborbicular, flat or concave with lobes curled up, 20–120 × 5–25 mm, serrate or pinnatisect with quadrate to rounded lobes, or rarely entire, leathery to sub-succulent, usually glabrous, sometimes ciliate basally, or rarely sparsely to densely lanate or stiffly setose on both surfaces, glaucous or spotted or streaked with purple, petiole 10–80 mm long. Inflorescence cymose, appearing sub-scapose, one to several capitula per plant; scapes erect at flowering but decumbent in fruit, 20–180 mm long, glabrous or rarely sparsely lanate and glabrescent, bracteate basally with 1 or 2 lanceolate to elliptic or sometimes leaf-like bracts. Capitula radiate, involucre 10–30 mm diam., involucral bracts 11 to 14, lanceolate to elliptic, 7–15 × 2–5 mm, glabrous-penicillate or rarely lanate. Marginal florets 11 to 14(17), corolla tube reduced, collar-like or cylindrical, 0.5–2.0 mm long, limb lanceolate to elliptic, 7–15 mm long, unicolorous or discolorous, pale to deep yellow above, usually flushed purple or blue beneath; ovary ellipsoid to obovoid; style bifid, included, branching below mouth of tube. Cypselas ellipsoid-ovoid, 2–6 × 1–3 mm, densely appressed-puberulous on ribs with white myxogenic twin hairs; pappus of numerous barbellate bristles, 3–25 mm long, united basally, beige. Disc florets numerous, yellow or lobes sometimes mauve to purple, corolla funnel-shaped, tube ± as long as limb, 0.5–2.0 mm long, lobes lanceolate to ovate, 0.5–1.0 mm long; filaments 1–2 mm long; ovary narrowly ellipsoid, 2–6 mm long, glabrous; style simple and cone-tipped; pappus of ± 10 barbellate bristles united basally. Figure 1C–F.

Distribution and ecology: a well-collected species that is widely distributed through the drier interior parts of southwestern and western South Africa, where it is best known from the Hantam and Roggeveld in Northern Cape but as far north as Springbok, extending along the drainage basin of the Orange River into Bushmanland, and south through the interior Cape Floristic Region of Western Cape to Willowmore in Eastern Cape, with scattered records from the interior parts of Eastern Cape and southern Free State; occurring on a wide variety of substrates, usually on shale flats in open karroid scrub, rarely on sandy flats or on sandstone rock sheets at high altitudes in arid fynbos. Flowering from May to September (rarely early October at high altitude) ( Figure 4).

Diagnosis: Othonna auriculifolia is an acaulescent geophyte with entire or serrate to pinnatisect leaves and scapose, radiate capitula with 11 to 14 involucral bracts and often discolorous ray florets, and disc florets sometimes with mauve to purple lobes. The species is vegetatively variable, the leaves ranging from narrowly oblong to obovate and pinnatisect to serrate or sometimes entire and suborbicular ( Figures 1C–F & 4). The leaves of O. auriculifolia are usually glabrous but a few populations between Clanwilliam and Calvinia [Coetzee CJ1 (NBG), Koopman DK049 (NBG) and Schlechter 10836 (BOL)] are distinctive in having the leaves densely covered with long, tangled hairs. We considered the possibility that these populations represent a separate species but additional populations from Worcester [Tyson s.n. (SAM)] are sparsely lanate-glabrescent and thus intermediate between the glabrous and densely hairy plants, and populations on the Hex River Mountains have the leaves stiffly setose. We therefore conclude that Othonna auriculifolia is also variable in leaf vestiture.

Candolle (1838) treated a number of these vegetative variants as distinct species. Othonna cyanoglossa DC. , based on a collection from Matjiesfontein in Western Cape, was distinguished by ovate to sub-rotund leaves with sinuate-dentate margins, and scapes ± as long as the leaves; O. lactucifolia DC. , from Graaff-Reinet in Eastern Cape, by ovate leaves with sinuate, mucronate-dentate margins and peduncles as long as the leaves; and O. picridioides DC. from the ‘Karoo′ by pinnatifid leaves with subrotund lobes with serrate-dentate margins, and peduncles shorter than the leaves. These taxa were synonymised by Harvey (1865), a decision that is supported by our observations of the ± continuous variation in leaf shape among collections and sometimes even individual plants, as well as observations in the field. Harvey (1865), however, segregated plants from Wolve River near Calvinia in Northern Cape with petiolate, cuneate-obovate leaves with entire or repand, or sometimes variably incised or pinnatifid margins, as var. arctotoides Harv. Specimens matching this form occur throughout the range of the species among more typical individuals, and evidently represent extreme or juvenile variants, and we do not recognise the variety.

Conservation status: The species is classified as Least Concern (LC) in the SANBI Red List of South African Plants ( Raimondo et al. 2009).

Additional specimens examined

SOUTH AFRICA. Free State: Jagersfontein (2925): Fauresmith Botanical Reserve (–CB), 1 Sept. 1925, Smith 398 ( PRE) ; 2 Sept., 1925, Smith 418 ( PRE) ; 27 Jul. 1930, Potter 2022 ( PRE) ; 1 Sept. 1925, Pole-Evans and Smith 841 ( PRE) .

Northern Cape: Griekwastad (2823): Griquatown (–CC), Jun. 1895, Marloth s.n. ( PRE) ; Jul. 1914 ( PRE) . Kimberley (2824): 7 miles [11 km] NE of Kimberley on Samaria Road (–DA), 24 Aug. 1961, Leistner and Joynt 2649 ( PRE) ; 3 miles (5 km) N of Kimberley (–DA), 17 Jun. 1959, Leistner 1421 ( PRE) . Springbok (2917): Hester Malan Nature Reserve (–DB), 1 Jul. 1975, Rosch and Le Roux 1167 ( PRE) . Pofadder (2919): Farm Gannapoort , 26 miles [42 km] east of Pofadder (–BC), 21 May 1961, Schlieben 8952; Leistner 2470 ( PRE) . Prieska (2922): Prieska (–BC), Jun. 1935, Bryant 1130 ( PRE) . Calvinia (3119): Bokkeveld , Farm Meulsteenvlei (–AC), 13 Sept. 1926, Marloth 12945 ( PRE) ; Nieuwoudtville (–AC), 11 May 1983, Perry and Snijman 2093 ( NBG) ; 15 Jun. 1983, Perry and Snijman 2112 ( NBG, PRE) ; 8 Sept. 1983, Perry and Snijman 2356 ( PRE) ; 15 Sept. 2000, Koekemoer and Funk 1949 ( PRE) ; ± 3 km S of Nieuwoudtville (–AC), 4 Jun. 2010, Helme 6584 ( NBG) ; Glen Ridge Farm , Nieuwoudtville (–AC), 19 Jul. 1962, Barker s.n. ( NBG) ; Nieuwoudtville, Hantam National Botanical Gardens (–AC), 13 May 2015, Coetzee CJ1 ( NBG) ; 23 May 2016, Koopman DK049 ( NBG) ; Willem′s River (–AC), without date, Leipoldt 754 ( SAM) ; Karigaboschfontein S of Calvinia (–AD), 20 Aug. 1975, Thompson 2473 ( NBG) ; foot of Hantam Mountains (– BC), Jul. 1948, Lewis 2586 ( SAM) ; Hantamsberg, summit of plateau above Ambralshoek (–BD), 18 Aug. 1975, Thompson 2336, 2338 ( NBG) ; Menzieskraal 816, 35 km SE of Nieuwoudtville on Botterkloof Road (–CA), 11 Aug. 2009, Helme 6450 ( NBG) ; Nieuwoudtville Nature Reserve (–CA), 8 Sept. 1983, Perry and Snijman 2356 ( NBG) ; 7 Aug. 1986, Steiner 1243 ( NBG) ; Kareeboomfontein (–DA), 5 Sept. 1974, Hanekom 2398 ( PRE) ; Riepjoeni [Rebunie] Mountains (–DA), Aug. 1921, Marloth 10301 ( PRE) . Victoria West (3123): Groot Boschmanspoort , NE of Victoria West (–AC), 14 May 1976, Thompson 3078 ( NBG) . Sutherland (3220): Roggeveld , Soekop (–AA), 8 Aug. 2006, Rösch 461 ( NBG) ; Voëlfontein Farm (–AA), 10 May 1969, Hall 219A ( NBG) ; Tankwa Karoo National Park, top of Gannaga Pass (–AA), 5 Aug. 2006, Koekemoer 3205, 3210, 3213 ( PRE) ; Tankwa Karoo National Park, between Quaggasfontein and Uitkyk (– AD), 7 Sept. 2013, Koekemoer 4423 ( PRE) ; Tankwa Karoo, Quaggasfontein (–AD), 27 Sept. 1998, Desmet 1856 ( NBG) ; Koedoesbergpas on Ceres–Sutherland Road (–CC), 20 May 1976, Hugo 398 ( NBG) ; between Laingsburg and Sutherland near Komsberg Pass (–DB), 3 Jul. 1983, Vlok 609 ( NBG, PRE) ; 3 km W of top of Komsberg Pass (– DB), 19 Jul. 2006, Bruyns 10506 ( NBG) .

Western Cape: Vanrhynsdorp (3118): near Vanrhynsdorp (–DA), 6 May 1965, Barker 10193 ( NBG) . Wuppertal (3219): Pakhuisberg , 17 km from Clanwilliam on road to Pakhuis (–AA), 25 Aug. 1995, Rodriguez-Oubina and Cruces 2101 ( PRE) ; Pakhuis, Heuningvlei (–AA), 24 Jul. 1983, Hockey 1 ( NBG) ; Farm Lamkraal (–AA), 14 Aug. 1897, Schlechter 10836 [2 sheets] ( BOL) ; top of plateau, Algeria (–AC), 3 Aug. 1937, Martin NBG 1294 ( NBG) ; Middelberg hut (–AC), Jun. 1980, Hugo 2372 ( NBG) ; SE slopes of Bloukop (–CB), 13 Sept. 2002, Burgoyne 9340 ( PRE) ; foothills of Bloukop on the Luiperdskloof 4 × 4 route (–CB), 11 Sept. 2002, Koekemoer 2411 ( PRE) ; 13 Sept. 2002, Koekemoer 2425, 2430 ( PRE) ; Breekkrans (– CB), 22 Jun. 1984, Taylor 10961 ( NBG) ; Gonnafontein (–CB), 8 Jul. 2000, Pond UP98 ( NBG) ; Koue Bokkeveld (–CC), 13 Aug. 1979, Miros s.n. ( NBG) ; Groenfontein, on road to Kaggakamma (–DC), 10 Jul. 1991, Van Zyl 4205 ( PRE) ; Knolfontein, 60 km NE of Ceres (–DC), 14 May 2008, Jardine and Jardine 870 ( NBG) ; 26 Aug. 2012, Jardine 1818 ( NBG) ; 29 Jul. 2009, Jardine and Jardine 1153 ( NBG) ; 6 Sept. 2011, Jardine 1593 ( NBG) ; 17 Aug. 2011, Jardine 1573 ( NBG) ; 15 Jul. 2005, Jardine and Jardine 17 ( NBG) ; 12 Sept. 2008, Jardine and Jardine 928 ( NBG) ; 19 Jun. 2006, Jardine and Jardine 314 ( NBG) , 26 Jul. 2010, Jardine 1489, 1490 ( NBG) ; 18 May 2010, Jardine 1494, 1495, 1496, 1497 ( NBG) ; Groenfontein, Zeekoegat 137 , W of Rietriver (–DC), 16 Jun. 2000, Stobie 4 ( NBG) . Beaufort West (3222): Courland′s Kloof , Nelspoort (–DB), Jul. 1907, Pearson 1486 ( SAM) . Worcester (3319): Matroosberg summit (–AC), 26 Sept. 1981, Kotze 100 ( NBG) ; Mostersthoek (–AD), 2 Aug. 1926, Stokoe 697 ( PRE) ; Doornriver (–AD), 9 Jul. 1991, Van Zyl 4197 ( NBG) ; Farm Tweeriviere along the Ceres–Patatsrivier Road (–BB), 25 Jun. 1979, Van Breda 4463 ( PRE) ; Karrooport (–BC), Aug. 1919, Marloth 9010 ( PRE) ; 27 Jul. 1941, Compton 11159 ( NBG) ; NW of Worcester , 16 May 1948, Bayer 4142 ( NBG) ; Hex River Mountains, N slopes of Rooiberg (–BC), 19 Aug. 1999, Oliver 11310 ( NBG) ; 1. 5 miles [2.4 km] W of Verkeerdevlei dam (–BD), 17 Jun. 1965, Acocks 23665 ( PRE) ; Verkeerdevlei (–BD), 13 Jun. 1975, Durand 27 ( PRE) ; 12 Jul. 1954, Barker 8287 ( NBG) ; Matroosberg (–BD), 30 Sept. 1928, Andrea 1157 ( PRE) ; Zachariashoek, La Motte Forest Station (–CC), 3 Jun. 1982, Viviers 386 ( PRE) ; near Nuy (–DA), 8 Jul. 1970, Barker 10702 ( NBG) . Montagu (3320): Tweedside (–AB), 1 Jun. 1925, Marloth 12058, 12073 ( PRE) ; Pieter Meintjies (– AD), 28 Apr. 1946, Barker 4023 ( NBG) ; Klein Roggeveld (–BA), 8 Jul. 1938, Compton 7275 ( NBG) ; Matjiesfontein, Whitehill (–BA), 7 Aug. 1933, Humbert 9726; 7 Sept. 1983, van Zyl 3567 ( PRE) ; Whitehill (–BA), 7 Jul. 1941, Compton 10881 ( NBG) ; 17 Aug. 1942, Compton 13385 ( NBG) ; Waboomsberg main kloof E of Brakleegte (–CB), 14 Jul. 1994, Oliver 10484 ( NBG) ; Touws River (–DA), Jul. 1903, Marloth 3230 ( PRE) ; Fonteinskloof (–DC), 14 Jul. 1954, Rycroft 1590 ( NBG) ; Barrydale (–DC), 5 Aug. 1949, Barker 5463 ( NBG) ; 6 Aug. 1949, Barker 5400 ( NBG) . Ladismith (3321): N of Klein Swartberg (–AD), 24 Jul. 1957, Warts 1508 ( NBG) ; Gamka Mountain (–BC), 20 Aug. 1975, Boshoff P223 ( NBG) ; Witteberg (–CA), 11 May 1941, Compton 10813 ( NBG) ; top of Witteberge, Matjiesfontein (–CA), 29 Sept. 1983, Van Zyl 3566 ( NBG) ; Derde River (–CD), 8 Jun. 1925, Muir 3624 ( PRE) ; N of Garcia′s Pass (–CC), Sept. 1923, Muir 2951 ( PRE) ; Farm Phisante Kraal 166 , top of Witteberg (–CC), 9 Aug. 1988, Pool 57 ( NBG) ; ± 1 km along road from Dwars in die weg to Rietkuil (–DA), 5 Aug. 2015, Manning and Magoswana 3507 ( NBG) ; Gamka Mountain Reserve, Bakenskop (–DB), 16 Apr. 1998, Rourke 2127 ( NBG, PRE) ; Gamka Mountains between Calitzdorp and Oudtshoorn (–DB), 22 Jul. 1980, Taylor 10209 ( PRE) ; Gamka Mountain Reserve (–DB), 16 Apr. 1998, Rourke 2127 ( NBG) ; Mountain Zebra Reserve, between Calitzdorp and Oudtshoorn (–DB), 22 Jul. 1980, Taylor 10209 ( NBG) . Oudtshoorn (3322): Farm Frisgewaagd , Swartberg Mountains (–AD), Jun. 1986, Vlok 1486 ( PRE) ; Vrolikheid (–BC), Jul. 1976, Merwe 2837 ( PRE) ; Oudtshoorn commonage (–CA), Jul. 1925, Marloth 12180 ( PRE) ; Farm Kleinvlakte , 10 miles [16 km] from Barrydale (–DC), 3 Jun. 1974, Van Breda 4240 ( PRE) . Bredasdorp (3420): Rietvallei , on boundary of four farms and Suurbraak (–BA), 17 Aug. 2008, Von Witt CR3209 ( NBG) .

Eastern Cape: Lady Grey (3027): Fontein′s Kloof , near Driefontein (–CD), 14 Jul. 1954, Lewis 4497 ( SAM) . Victoria West (3123): Murraysberg (–DD), Apr. 1879, Tyson 390 ( PRE) . Steynsburg (3125): Conway farm (–CB), Aug. 1899, Gilfillan 5552 ( PRE) . Queenstown (3126): N slopes of Andriesberg (–DA), 23 May 1899, Galpin 2611 ( PRE) . Cradock (3225): National Bergkwagga Park [ Mountain Zebra National Park ] (–AD), 5 May 1963, Liebenberg 7214 ( PRE) . Willowmore (3323): Uniondale , Vettevlei (–CA), 8 Jul. 1935, Markötter s.n. ( NBG) .