Marasmodes re fl exa, S. Ortiz, 2009

Magee, A. R., Ebrahim, I., Koopman, R. & von Staden, L., 2017, Marasmodes (Asteraceae, Anthemideae), the most threatened plant genus of the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa: Conservation and taxonomy *, South African Journal of Botany 111, pp. 371-371 : 371-

10. Marasmodes re fl exa

S. Ortiz, Bot . J. Linn. Soc. 159: 334 (2009) . Type: South Africa, Western Cape Province, Bredasdorp District, Napier, Renosterbos community, 15 Jun 1946, P. G. Jordaan 51 ( NBG, holo.; NBG, iso.) .

Well-branched shrublets, at least 0.3 m tall. Leaves alternate, regularly arranged along branches, spreading to reflexed, linear to narrowly obovate, 2–7 × 0.5–5.0 mm, mostly trifid, some simple, mucronulate; axillary fascicles conspicuous. Capitula solitary, terminal. Involucre campanulate to slightly obconical, 3–4 × 3.0– 3.5 mm; bract margins and apices scarious, sessile glands at appendage base prominent; outer bracts ovate, ± 1 mm long, without scarious margins; inner bracts narrowly oblong, ± 4 mm long, margins scarious, apex with a prominent scarious appendage, yellowish brown or colourless, sessile glands conspicuous at appendage base, yellowish. Florets ca. 8 to 12; limb 5- lobed from just above midpoint; lobes recurved. Pappus with adaxial scales more than half corolla tube length.

Diagnostic characters

This species shares the regularly trifid primary leaves with M. tri fi da but can be readily distinguished by its shorter spreading to reflexed leaves, 2–7 mm long (vs suberect to spreading and (8) 10–14 mm long in M. tri fi da), the robust well branched habit with the leaves regularly arranged along the branches (vs. weak, single or few-stemmed habit with leaves restricted to upper branches or branch tips) and the inner involucral bracts with conspicuous yellow glands at the base of the scarious apex (vs glands not conspicuous).

Distribution and ecology

Marasmodes re fl exa

Is known only from the type specimen, collected in renosterveld vegetation around Napier in 1946 ( Fig. 4 ). Since then, much of this habitat in the area has been converted to crop fields, and only small fragments remain. CREW has surveyed renosterveld fragments around Napier and further towards Caledon in 2011 and 2016, but has not yet located any surviving populations. If this species, like other Marasmodes species, is localized to transitional habitats, it is likely that it could be easily overlooked. Surveys are ongoing, but the species may also be extinct. It is therefore assessed as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct). This is the only Marasmodes species recorded in the Overberg.

Figures

Fig. 4. The known geographical distribution of Marasmodes fasciculata (circles), M. macrocephala (stars) and M. reflexa (square).