Nolletia annemarieae P.P.J.Herman, 2013

Herman, Paul P. J., 2013, Cypsela morphology in the genus Nolletia (Asteraceae, Astereae) and a revision of the genus, Phytotaxa 122 (1), pp. 1-44 : 8-10

1. Nolletia annemarieae P.P.J.Herman sp. nov. ( Fig. 4 )

Similar to N. chrysocomoides , but capitula larger (14 mm in diameter), solitary, outer female florets shortly radiate and cypselae with oblong epicarpic cells.

Type :— NAMIBIA. Sanitatas, 25 km NW of Purros, (QDS: 1812 DD), 12 April 1985 , Moss & Jacobsen K180 (holotype PRE!, isotype WIND!) .

Densely leafy, compact suffrutex, up to about 0.15 m high. Older branches with whitish grey bark, stems green upwards, densely covered with appressed white hairs. Leaves alternate, sessile, narrowly elliptic, up to 30 × 3–4 mm; apex acute; base cuneate; margin entire; appressed to spreading pubescent on both sides. Capitula heterogamous, disciform, 14 mm in diameter, solitary, pedunculate. Peduncle about 40 mm long, densely appressed to spreading pubescent. Involucre campanulate. Involucral bracts imbricate, in 3 rows; outer row narrowly ovate, 3.0–3.5 × 0.5 mm, acuminate, appressed to spreading pubescent; middle row narrowly elliptic, 4.0–4.5 × 0.5 mm, acute to acuminate, with narrowly membranous, faintly fimbriate margin, appressed pubescent; inner row narrowly elliptic to linear, 4.5–5.0 × 0.5 mm, acuminate, with broader membranous, fimbriate margin, sparsely appressed pubescent. Receptacle epaleate. Outer female florets in 1 row, fertile, shortly radiate; tube about 2 mm long, with glandular hairs; ray about 2 mm long, with a single lobe; corolla yellow. Style 2.5–3.0 mm long, bifurcate; style branches linear, 1 mm long, obtuse; stigmatic areas marginal and confluent at apex. Cypsela and pappus as in disc florets. Disc florets regular, bisexual, fertile; tubular below, widening slightly about halfway, tube 3–4 mm long with glandular hairs in lower part and around widening; 5-lobed, lobes 0.5 mm long, with glandular hairs; corolla yellow. Anthers 1.5–2.0 mm long; with ovate apical appendages; base slightly calcarate, ecaudate. Style 3.5 mm long, bifurcate; style branches linear, 1 mm long; apex obtuse, papillate; stigmatic areas marginal, not confluent at apex. Cypsela brownish with white, thickened margin, obovoid, laterally compressed, about 2 × 0.6 mm; covered with twin hairs, twin hairs unequal in length, apices broadened ( Fig. 2D ); epicarpic cells oblong, arranged in parallel rows. Pappus of numerous, caducous, barbellate bristles, 3.0– 3.5 mm long. Flowering time: March.

Distribution and habitat: —Known only from the type locality in northern Namibia ( Fig. 5 ), growing at the base of a rocky hill. Possibly a Namibian endemic. The conservation status of this species is not currently known.

Etymology: —Named for my wife Annemarie.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Scanning electron micrographs of cypsela features in Nolletia: (A) obovoid cypsela of N. gariepina (Dinter 3577, PRE); (B) oblong epicarpic cells arranged in regular rows and twin hairs on the cypsela of N. tenuifolia (Dinter 7889, PRE); (C) oblong epicarpic cells arranged in regular rows and twin hairs with acute apices on the cypsela of N. gariepina (Zietsman & Zietsman 794, PRE); (D) oblong epicarpic cells arranged in regular rows and twin hairs with broadened apices in cypsela of N. annemarieae (Moss & Jacobsen K180, PRE); (E) obovoid cypsela in the dried state of N. chrysocomoides showing the ‘pocked’ surface (Germishuizen 7763, PRE); (F) circular epicarpic cells each with a twin hair on the cypsela of N. vanhoepeniae in the dried state (De Beer B5, PRE); (G) circular epicarpic cells each with a twin hair, in N. vanhoepeniae in the rehydrated state (De Beer B5, PRE); (H) paired circular to elliptic epicarpic cells with one twin hair between each pair, scattered over the cypsela surface in N. annetjieae in the dried state (Leistner 1581, PRE). Photographs by P.P.J. Herman.

FIGURE 4. Scanned image of the holotype of N. annemarieae P.P.J.Herman(Moss & Jacobsen K180, PRE).

FIGURE 5. Known geographical distribution of N. annemarieae (̝) and N. gariepina (●).