Othonna taraxacoides (DC.) Sch. Bip.

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

1. Othonna taraxacoides (DC.) Sch. Bip. in Flora 27(2): 769 (1844).

Doria taraxacoides DC. , Prodromus 6: 471 (1838); Harv. in Flora Capensis. 3: 325 (1865).

Type: South Africa, [Northern Cape]: ‘in Africae Capensis regione Gariepinâ’ [ Zwischen Zilwerfontein , Kooperbergen und Kaus in Drège (1843)], Drège [2881] [Sept.–Oct. 1838] ( G-DC-G00473781 , holo.— image! ; K-000307012 —image!, P-0010014 —image!, iso.) .

Deciduous geophyte, to 150 mm, stem subterranean, condensed, appearing unbranched, felted at crown; rootstock cylindrical to oblong. Leaves emergent or fully developed at flowering, crowded basally, erect to spreading, base narrowed and petiole-like, blade obovate-spatulate or rarely lyrate-pinnatifid, 10–35 × 5–25 mm, undulate-incised or crenate, glabrous, glaucous, petiole 5–50 mm long. Inflorescence cymose but appearing sub-scapose, one or more capitula per plant; scapes erect at flowering but decumbent in fruit, 20– 100 mm long, glabrous, ebracteate or sometimes with one or two bracteoles near base. Capitula disciform, involucre 10–20 mm diam., involucral bracts 13 or 14, lanceolate to elliptic, 5–15 × 2–4 mm, glabrous-penicillate. Marginal florets 13 or 14, corolla tube reduced, collar-like, 0.5–1.5 mm long, pale to deep yellow; ovary ellipsoid-ovoid; style bifid, greatly exserted, 4–6 mm long. Cypselas ellipsoid-ovoid, 2–4 × 1–2 mm, densely appressed-puberulous on ribs with white myxogenic twin hairs; pappus of numerous barbellate bristles, 3–8 mm long, beige or sometimes deep red. Disc florets numerous, yellow, corolla funnel-shaped, tube ± as long as limb, 0.5–2.0 mm long; filaments 1–2 mm long; ovary narrowly ellipsoid, 3–8 mm long, glabrous; style simple and cone-tipped; pappus of ± 10 barbellate bristles united basally. Figure 1A, B.

Distribution and ecology: a local endemic of the winter-rainfall region of Northern Cape, South Africa, distributed along the western escarpment from the Richtersveld to the Kamiesberg Mountains; usually in patches of gravelly quartz or sometimes in quartz outcrops, rarely on granite substrates. Flowering from July to September ( Figure 2).

Diagnosis: Othonna taraxacoides is an acaulescent geophyte with obovate-spatulate or lyrate-pinnatifid leaves 10–35 mm long, and sub-scapose, disciform capitula ( Figure 1A, B). The pappus of the cypselas is invariably short, 3–8 mm long.

Conservation status: The species is classified as Least Concern (LC) in the SANBI Red List of South African Plants ( von Staden 2016).

Additional specimens examined

SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape: Vioolsdrif (2817): Richtersveld (–AC), Sept. 1933, Herre s.n. ( NBG) ; base of Umdaus (–DC), 1 Aug. 1988, Williamson 3915 ( NBG) . Springbok (2917): Steinkopf, W of town along highway (–BA), 22 Aug. 2015, Deacon 4448 ( NBG) ; 15 km N of Steinkopf (–BA), Sept. 1995, Williamson 5699 ( NBG) ; 3 miles (5 km) W of Steinkopf (–BA), Aug. 1949, Hall s.n. ( NBG) ; ± 10 km E of Jakkalswater (–BB), 8 Jul. 2008, Bruyns 11116 ( NBG) ; 12 miles (19 km) E of Springbok (– DB), 25 Aug. 1954, Barker 8382 ( NBG) . Gamoep (2918): Kweekfontein (–CA), 2 Aug. 2000, Bruyns 8239 ( NBG) . Hondeklipbaai (3017): Kamieskroon (–BB), 4 Aug. 1952, Hall NBG 462/52 ( NBG) . Kamiesberg (3018): eastern Kamiesberg between Paulshoek and Platbakkies (–AD), 8 Sept. 2006, Snijman 2088 ( NBG) .