Pteronia camphorata (L.)

Bello, A. O., Boatwright, J. S., Tilney, P. M., Van der Bank, M. & Magee, A. R., 2017, A taxonomic revision of the Pteronia camphorata group (Astereae, Asteraceae) *, South African Journal of Botany 113, pp. 277-287 : 283-284

2. Pteronia camphorata (L.) L., Sp. Pl. 2(2): 1176 (1763);

Thunb. Fl. Cap. 629 (1823). Pterophora camphorata L., Pl. Rar. Afr. 17 (1760); Cass. Dict. Sci. Nat., 37: 474 (1825). Pteronia camphorata var. armata Harv. in Harv. & Sond. Fl. Cap. 3: 110 (1865), pro. parte; Hutch. & Phillips in Ann. S. African Mus. 9: 297 (1917), pro. parte, nom. inval. super fl. Type: South Africa. Precise locality unknown, Anon s.n., Herb. Linn. No. 980.2 (LINN, lecto. – image!, designated by Lowrey in Jarvis & Turland, (1998)).

Pteronia stricta Ait. Hort. Kew , ed. I 3: 162 (1789); DC. Prodr. 5: 364 (1836); Hutch. & Phillips in Ann. S. African Mus.9: 298 (1917), syn. nov. Pterophorus strictus (Ait.) Less. Syn. Gen. Compos. 195 (1832). Pteronia camphorata var. stricta (Ait.) Harv. in Harv. & Sond. Fl. Cap. 3: 110 (1865). Type: South Africa. Precise locality unknown, Masson s.n. (BM001253076, holo. – image!)

Pteronia stricta var. longifolia Phillips. Hutch. & Phillips in Ann. S. African Mus. 9: 299 (1917), syn. nov. Type: South Africa. Western Cape, Oudtshoorn (3322): Prince Albert, stony places at summit of ‘ Zwartberg Pass’ [Swartbergpas] (–AC), Bolus 11523, (PRE, lecto.! here designated; BOL!, isolecto.). [Note: The specimen at PRE is designated here as it has a determination slip annotated by Hutchinson and Phillips].

Evergreen perennial shrubs up to 2 m high; stems pubescent, erect, branching towards apex, branches strigose. Leaves alternate, dense, simple, linear to acicular, 5–15 × 0.8–1.0 mm, subterete, coriaceous, glabrous; mucronate, margins setulose-ciliate towards the base, rarely entire, fasciculate. Capitula homogamous, discoid, 15- to 20-flowered, terminal, in clusters of 2–6; sometimes solitary on lateral branches, pedunculate, peduncles up to 10 mm long; bearing smaller leaves. Involucre subcampanulate, 11–15 × 15–20 mm, 3-seriate; involucral bracts glabrous, stereome sometimes prominent; apex long acuminate; outermost bracts linear to lanceolate, 5–7 mm long, margins entire; middle bracts lanceolate, 9–12 mm, margins entire to scarious; innermost bracts lanceolate, 10–13 mm long, margins entire to scarious. Florets bisexual, 15 to 20; corolla yellow, tubular, 8–9 mm long, limb 5-lobed, gradually widening upward, tube sparsely to densely pubescent; anthers 3–4 mm long, apex acute, base terete; style branched, 12–14 mm long, branches subterete, about 1.8 mm long, densely stigmatic-papillate. Pappus uniseriate, bristles, connate at base, 6–7 mm long, shorter than florets at fruiting stage, straw-coloured. Cypselas elliptic, 3.5–4.0 x ± 3.0 mm, isodiametric, marginal ribs prominent; light coloured, usually contracted into a neck at apex, glabrous brown, shiny. Fig. 7 .

Diagnostic characters

Pteronia camphorata could be confused with Pteronia aspera but is distinguished by the denser fascicles of 20 or more leaves ( Fig. 7A ; 3 to 15 in P. aspera ), the long acuminate involucral bracts with entire margins ( Fig. 7C ; acute to short acuminate with serrate margins in P. aspera ), and the isodiametric cypselas with prominent marginal ribs ( Fig. 7B ; dorsoventrally flattened in P. aspera ).

Distribution and ecology

This species occurs from the Klein Swartberg and Outeniqua Mountains in the Western Cape to Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape ( Fig. 8 ) and favours rocky or sandy soil between 400 and 1600 m. Flowering may occur throughout the year but peaks from spring to early summer (September to November).

Specimens examined

South Africa. WESTERN CAPE: 3321 (Ladismith): Top of Klein Swartberg Mountains, at end of Besemfontein Track (–AD), Vlok 1412 (PRE); Klein Swartberg Mountains, above farm Buffelsfontein (–AD), Stirton 10294 (NBG); Mountain on east side of Seweweekspoort (–AD), Wurts 1579 (NBG); Seweweekspoort, south slope (–AD), Levyns 2441 (BOL); Seweweekspoort Mountain (–AD), Wurts 1013 (NBG), Oliver 11134 (NBG); Swartberg, south-west of Kliphuisvlei, rocky restiod slope (–BD), Oliver 5533 (NBG); Gamkaskloofpas ± 12 km vanaf Swartberg Pass klipperige grond (–BD), De Wet 15 (PRE); Rooiberg, summit of ridge above Assegaaiboskloof (–DA), Oliver 5360 (NBG); Rooiberg, south of Calitzdorp on the road to Bailey's Peak (–DA), Koekemoer 2008, 2012 (PRE); Gamka Mountain Reserve, (–DB), Cattell & Cattell 166 (NBG), Erasmus 117 (NBG). 3322 (Oudtshoorn): Groot Swartberg, north side below Oliewenberg (–AC), Oliver & Oliver 11735 (NBG); Waenskloof, Cango Valley on high level talus of Swartberg (–AC), Moffett 282 (NBG, PRE), Moffett 328 (NBG); Prince Albert district at second hairpin overlooking Toll and Summit (–AC), Taylor 6978 (PRE); Prince Albert, Swartberg Pass, north side water stream bend in road near Foreman's Quarters (–AC), Taylor 6978 (NBG); Swartberg Pass (–AC), Markotter 9971 (NBG), Walters 126, 716 (NBG), Bolus 4123 (PRE), Marloth 2475 (PRE), Stokoe 1943 (PRE), Hutchinson 1167 (PRE, BOL); Prince Albert, Swartberg Pass Mountains (–AC), Primos 79 (NBG), Bond 857 (NBG), Bond W798 (PRE), Koorts 19 (NBG), Bolus 11522 (PRE), Stokoe 8736, 9301 (PRE); Prince Albert C.P, Swartberg 10 m east of Pass summit (–AC), Rourke 432 (NBG); Prince Albert Division, 8 miles [12.87 km] west from top of Swartberg Pass (–AC), Stokoe 59949 (NBG); Prince Albert Division, near the summit of Swartberg Pass (–AC), Stokoe 59949 (PRE); Prince Albert, 2 m below summit of Swartberg Pass (–AC), Leistner 216 (NBG); Prince Albert (–AC), Leistner 216 (PRE); south side of Swartberg Pass below the pine sample plot (–AC), Taylor 9371 (NBG, PRE); Swartberg east of top of Pass, Gousberg area (–AC), Thompson 1321 (NBG, PRE); Swartberg Pass, 8 miles [12.87 km] from Cango Caves turn off (–AC), Wells 3748 (PRE); Halfway up the Swartberg Pass on the Oudtshoorn side (–AC), Zantovska 105 (PRE); De Hoek Reservaat, Swartberg (–AC), Olivier 3135 (PRE); Klein Swartberg kloof, north of Klein Swartberg peak, Prince Albert (–AC), Andreae 1260 (PRE); Swartberg Pass, just north of the top at the 24 km marker (–AC), Koekemoer 4092 (PRE); Ladismith, slopes of Swartberg (–AD), Levyns 2324 (BOL), Esterhuysen 13994 (BOL); Prince Albert in fire break, stony north slope (–BC), Pienaar 62 (NBG); Swartberg west of Blesberg, north slope at head of Tierkloof (–BC), Oliver 5655 (NBG); Fynbos Mountain, slopes west of Oudtshoorn (–CA), Van Breda 4010 (PRE); Robinson Pass, Outeniqua Mountains (–CC), Hops 67 (PRE); George (–CD), Gillett 1657 (NBG); Outeniqua Pass (–CD), Compton 24412 (NBG); Kammanassie Mountains, south slopes on Roode Els Kloff Farm side (–DB), Mathews 293 ex JBG 2218 (PRE); Elandsvlakte, Kammanassieberg (–DB), Zeeman 16 (PRE). 3423 (Knysna): Knysna (–AA), Springlier s.n (NBG).

EASTERN CAPE: 3323 (Willowmore): Kammanassie – Mannetjieberg (–CA), Compton 10,558 (NBG); Avontuur Poort (–CA), Fourcade 4358A (NBG); Mountains south of Avontuur (–CA), Fourcade 1300 (BOL); Top of Prince Alfred's Pass (–CC), Marsh 1412 (NBG), Harrochs s.n. (NBG); Uniondale Division, Kouga Mountains east of Smutberg (–DB), Esterhuysen 1941 (NBG), Esterhuysen 6985a, 6985b (BOL); Kouga, Farmosa, Towerwater–177, steep south slope (–DB), Euston–Brown 514 (BOL); Louterwater (–DC), Compton 4878, 7907 (NBG); Hon. P.M.K. Le Roux Farm at Louterwater (–DC), Dahlstrand 1711, 1728 (PRE), Dahlstrand 2709 (NBG, PRE); Van Thieperk heights, Joubertina (–DD), Rourke 887 (NBG). 3324 (Steytlerville): Kareedouw Pass, 2 m south of Kareedouw (–CD), Sheron 1359 (PRE). 3424 (Humansdorp): Humansdorps, south slopes of Kareedouw (–BB), Gillett 1524 (NBG).

Precise locality unknown:Caput Bonae Spei, Thunberg s.n. THUNB-UPS 18665.

Figures

Fig. 7. Morphology of Pteronia camphorata. A – flowering branch. B – cypselas (B1 – immature, B2 – mature). C – involucral bracts. D – style. E – floret, F – corolla. Vouchers: A–E – Oliver11134 (NBG), F – Esterhuysen 13994 (BOL).Scales: A = 2 cm, (B1, B2 & F) = 1 mm, C–E = 2 mm.

Fig.3. Variations in the corolla of Pteronia species studied.A – P.cederbergensis. B & C – P.aspera. D & E – P.camphorata. Vouchers:A – Levyn 5101 (BOL); B – Stokoe 17535 (BOL); C – Esterhuysen 22129 (BOL); D – Esterhuysen 13994 (BOL); E – Levyn 2324 (BOL). Scales: A, C–E = 1 mm, B = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 8. Known distribution of Pteronia camphorata.