Cotula eckloniana (DC.) Levyns, S. Afr. J. Bot. 7: 133 (1941)

Powell, R. F., Boatwright, J. S. & Magee, A. R., 2014, A taxonomic revision of the Cotula coronopifolia group (Asteraceae) and implications for the conservation statuses of the species *, South African Journal of Botany 93, pp. 105-117 : 109-110

2. Cotula eckloniana (DC.) Levyns, S. Afr. J. Bot. 7: 133 (1941) ;

Levyns, in Adamson & Salter, Fl. Cap. Penins. 162 (1950); Goldblatt & Manning, Cape Pl.: 366 (2000); Manning & Goldblatt, Pl. Gr. C.F.R.: 366 (2012). Otochlamys eckloniana DC., Prodr. : 77 (1838); Schltr., Bot. Jahr. 27: 208 (1899).

Type: South Africa. Western Cape Province, Cape Town (3318) Riet Valley (-DC), Nov 1805, Ecklon 1025 (G-DC, lecto. -image!, designated here).

Cotula pedunculata (Schltr.) Phillips, S. Afr. J. Bot. 16: 21 (1950), syn. nov. Otochlamys pedunculata Schltr., Bot. Jahr. 27: 208 (1899); Goldblatt & Manning, Cape Pl.: 366 (2000). Type: South Africa. Western Cape Province, Clanwilliam (3218) Zuurfontein (-AB), 15 Aug 1896, Schlechter 8535, (BOL, lecto.!, designated here; K-image!, isolecto.).

Spreading annual herb. Stems 40–200 mm, glabrous to sparsely hairy, herbaceous, 1.5–2.0 mm wide. Leaves opposite, slightly spreading, entire 10–35 × 0.4–0.8 mm, base dilated, forming a prominent sheath around stem, sheath 1.0–4.0 mm long; leaves linear, ± terete, leathery, dark green, glabrous to hairy, apices acute, margins entire. Capitula heterogamous, disciform, solitary, terminal, pedunculate, peduncles glabrous to sparsely hairy, 6.0– 10 mm. Involucre hemispherical, 3.0–6.0 × 5.0– 10 mm, 2-seriate, outer bracts ovate tapering to a narrow terminal appendage with obtuse apex, 3.0–5.0 × 2.0–4.0 mm, glabrous, green, apex and margin scarious, three-veined, secondary venation obscure; inner bract oblong, 2.0–3.0 × 1.5–2.0 mm, glabrous, whitish, slightly transparent, prominently pitted. Receptacle flat, epalate; pedicels 0.6 mm at anthesis, ovate, uniform throughout the head, disciform pedicel attaching to floret apically, disc pedicel attaching to floret floret supro-ventrally. Disciform fl orets female, ca. 5, in single outer series, corolla absent, style 0.6 mm, ovary broadly marginally winged, inner face glabrous. Disc fl orets bisexual, ca. 25 to 40, corolla 1.3 mm long, whitish to yellow, narrowly oblong, corolla broadly tailed on outer face; tail ca. 1.5 × 1 mm, obovate, dorsal surface medially winged, ventral surface apically pouched over ovary, longitudinal resin canals present, limb ± twice width of tube, 4 lobed; lobes triangular, upright to spreading, dorsally tuburculate, not glandular; anthers 0.5–1.2 mm long (including apical appendages), ecaudate, apical appendages ovate, acute; style terete with thickened base; branches truncate, papillate apically-dorsally; ovary narrowly marginally winged. Cypselas heteromorphic; disciform cypselas ovoid, ca. 1.77 × 1.37 mm, broadly marginally winged, wing ± twice width of ovary, base strongly cordate, inner face glabrous to sparsely hairy; disc cypselas ovoid, ca. 1.3 × 0.4 mm, narrowly laterally winged, wing ⅛ of the ovary, glabrous.

Diagnostic characters

Cotula eckloniana is similar to C. fi lifolia in that it has ± terete, entire leaves ( Fig. 2.B–C ) but is distinguished by the opposite leaves, biseriate involucre and unique tailed corolla ( Figs. 1.E and 4.B ). The disciform fruits of C. eckloniana are broadly winged and glabrous (wing narrower and inner face of fruit with stout hairs in C. fi lifolia).

Distribution, ecology and conservation status

This species occurs in saline alluvium floodplains or salt pans from Lamberts Bay along the west coast to Bredasdorp ( Fig. 6 ) and often co-occurs with the also vulnerable Oncosiphon africanum KällersjÖ. More than 50% of its known habitat has already been transformed and the remainder is threatened by rapid ongoing agricultural expansion. This species is suspected to be locally extinct on the Cape Peninsula but is easily overlooked and it is likely that further populations within the Table Mountain National Park may yet be found. The previous endangered status of this species is now downgraded to VU B1ab(iii,v) + 2ab(iii,v) ( Powell et al., 2013b) due to the confirmation of at least eight extant populations.

Additional specimens examined

South Africa. WESTERN CAPE. 3218 (Clanwilliam): Berg River, Velddrif (–CC), Hugo 2971; Magee, Powell & Boatwright 1028 (NBG); West Coast, Sandveld, Road Velddrif to Piketberg, Tasaars Kuil Farm 253 at turnoff to Aurora (–CD), Mucina & Jakubowsky 040806/30 (NBG); Near Sauer (–DC), Barker 5788 (NBG); Berg River (–DC), Compton 9471 (NBG). 3318 (Cape Town): Langebaan, Schrywershoek, upper salt marsh (–AA), O'Callaghan 7/4 (NBG); Darling areas, Theefontein farm, about 8 km south west of farm house (–AB), Boucher 3858 (NBG); West Coast, Yzerfontein, east of salt pan, Blombosch (–AC), Mucina & Jakubowsky 040806/12 (NBG); Greenpoint (–CD), Zeyher 38771 (SAM), MacOwen 1769 (SAM), Schlechter s.n (BOL); Paarden Eiland (–CD), Zeyher 619, Lewis 63 (SAM); Milnerton, along the coast (– CD), Esterhuysen 30429a (BOL); Berg River (–DD), O'Callaghan 913 (NBG). 3418 (Simonstown): Silvermine (–AB), Zeyher s.n. (SAM); Chapman's Bay (–AB), Lewis 95 (SAM). 3419 (Caledon): Uilkraal River, south bank 20 cm below bridge (–CB), O'Callaghan 3/11/12 (NBG). 3420 (Bredasdorp): Brandfontein, Bredasdorp (–CA), Esterhuysen 19011 (BOL).

Figures

Fig. 2. Leaf variation in the Cotula coronopifolia group.(A) C.myriophylloides; (B) C.eckloniana; (C) C.vulgaris; (D) C.filifolia; (E) C.pusilla; (F) C.bipinnata; (G) C.coronopifolia, note that G3 illustrates the very divided leaves found in the Northern Cape populations.Vouchers:(A) Helme 5675 (NBG); (B) Barker 5788 (NBG); (C) Pappe 38780 (NBG); (D) Compton 9090 (NBG); (E) Schlechter 1066 (NBG); (F) Walgate 492 (NBG); (G) Le Roux & Ramsey 315 (NBG).Scale:A–D = 5 mm; E–G3 = 10 mm. Artist R.F. Powell.

Fig.1. The species of the Cotula coronopifolia group.(A) C.myriophylloides in flower at the Bot River Lagoon (N.Helme); (B–D) C.eckloniana, note the flat topped capitula andcharacteristic biseriate bracts,with the inner series translucent (E) corolla of C.eckloniana in dorsal view,ventral view (with andwithout ovary,note apical pouch) and side view(note tail-like extended corolla base; (F–G) C.vulgaris; (H) C.filifolia; (I) white-flowered C.bipinnata; (J) yellow-flowered C. bipinnata (K–L) C.pusilla; (M) C.coronopifolia, note the rooting at the nodes.

Fig.4.Floret variation showing the disciform and disc floret of each species in the Cotulacoronopifolia group.(A) C.myriophylloides: (A1) disciform floret;(A2) disc floret;(B) C.eckloniana: (B1) disciform floret,(B2) disc floret dorsal view,(B3) disc floret ventral view with ovary,(B4) disc floret ventral view without ovary; (C) C.vulgaris: (C1) disciform floret,(C2) disc floret; (D) C.fililfolia: (D1) disciform floret, (D2) disc floret; (E) C.pusilla: (E1) disciform floret, (E2) disc floret; (F) C.bipinnata: (F1) disciform floret, (F2) disc floret; (G) C.coronopifolia: (G1) disciform floret, (G2) disc floret. Vouchers: (A) Compton 15396 (NBG); (B) Mucina & Jakubowsky 040606/12 (NBG); (C) Gubb 76 (NBG); (D) Helme 3483 (NBG);(E) Jakubowsky 1/2007 (NBG); (F) Compton 11632 (NBG); (G) Oliver, TÖlken & Venter 313 (NBG).Scale = 1 mm. Artist R.F.Powell.

Fig. 6. Known geographical distribution of Cotula eckloniana.