Brunia Lam.,

Claßen-Bockhoff, Regine, Oliver, Edward G. H., Hall, Anthony V. & Quint, Marcus, 2019, A new classification of the South African endemic family Bruniaceae based on molecular and morphological data, TAXON 60 (4), pp. 1138-1155 : 1148-1149

6. Brunia Lam.,

Encycl. 1(2): 474. 1785, nom. cons. [McNeill & al., ICBN: 307. 2006], non L. (1754); Pillans in J. S. African Bot. 13: 178. 1947 p.p. ≡ Nebelia Neck. ex Sweet , Hort. Brit.: 116. 1830, nom. illeg. et rej. (ICBN Art. 14.4); Pillansin J. S. African Bot. 13: 178. 1947

– Type: Brunia paleacea P.J. Bergius ≡ Nebelia paleacea (P.J. Bergius) Sweet.

= Raspalia Brongn. in Ann. Sci. Nat. (Paris) 8: 377, t. 37, fig. 1. 1826, syn. nov.; Pillansin J. S. African Bot. 13: 147. 1947

– Type: Raspalia microphylla (Thunb.) Brongn. (= Brunia microphylla Thunb. ).

= Mniothamnea Nied. in Engler & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 2a: 136. 1891, syn. nov.; PillansinJ. S. African Bot. 13: 167. 1947

– Type: Mniothamnea callunoides (Oliv.) Nied. ≡ Berzelia callunoides Oliv. (= Brunia callunoides (Oliv.) Class.-Bockh. & E.G.H. Oliv.).

= Lonchostoma Wikstr. in Kongl. Vetensk. Acad. Handl. 39: 350. 1818, syn. nov.; Pillansin J. S. African Bot. 13: 133. 1947

– Type: Lonchostoma obtusiflorum Wikstr. , nom. illeg. et superfl. (ICBN Art. 52.1) ≡ Passerina pentandra Thunb. (= Lonchostoma pentandrum (Thunb.) Druce ).

= Pseudobaeckea Nied. in Engler & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 2a: 136. 1891 p.p. magna, syn. nov.; PillansinJ. S. African Bot. 13: 169. 1947

– Lectotype: Pseudobaeckea cordata (Burm.f.) Nied. ≡ Brunia cordata Burm. f. ; designated by Hutchinson, Gen. Fl. Pl. 2: 114. 1967.

Growth form: ericoid shrubs or undershrubs, erect or prostrate, rarely small trees; lignotubers absent or present. Leaves: small, appressed or spreading, linear to ovate, often 3-angular, long-ciliate in Brunia subg. Lonchostoma , sessile or petiolate, amphi-, epi-, or hypostomatic; stipules present or absent. Inflorescences: oblong to globose heads, with or without a terminal flower, rarely compound heads ( B. fragarioides , B. powrieae ) or solitary flowers on top of leafy shoots ( B. bullata , B. callunoides ); terminal and/or lateral, often arranged in racemose or corymbose clusters, main axis growing on in some species; involucral bracts present in B. subg. Brunia and showy in B. paleacea . Flowers: small to minute (except B. subg. Lonchostoma ), lateral flowers subtended by 1 bract and 2 bracteoles. Petals: free or postgenitally fused with stamens into a tube (B. subg. Lonchostoma ), white to yellowish, rarely burgundy, red, or at least with red stains on lowerhalf ( B. squalida , B. microphylla , B. phylicoides ), pinkish ( B. myrtoides , B. purpurea ), or vividly red ( B. esterhuyseniae ), petal bulges usually forming a thick cushion with a vertical subdivision, in B. subg. Brunia with 2 closely aligned longitudinal ridges in basal half, in B. subg. Lonchostoma bulges reduced to a low ridge or absent. Scent: occasionally present, yeasty or sweet. Stamens: usually 5, included or exserted and occasionally unequal in length ( B. dregeana and B. subg. Brunia ), anthers rotund, oblong or subglobose, yellow, rarely red to black ( B. bullata , B. callunoides , B. subg. Lonchostoma ), thecae parallel, versatile. Pollen: 5- to 10-colporate, tectum mainly foveolate, butalsorugulate ( B. sphaerocephala , B. villosa ) and reticulateand psilate (B. subg. Brunia ). Ovary: half-inferiorto almost inferior, rarely superior (B. subg. Lonchostoma ); 1- or 2-locular, usually 1-ovulate, butalso 2-ovulate andrarelyupto 10 ovulesperlocule (B. subg. Lonchostoma ). Styles: 1 or 2, free. Fruit: 1- or 2-seeded, dry, indehiscent or dehiscent. Habitat: usually on moist soils, riversides or even swamps ( B. fragarioides ), if growing in drier areas then receiving humidity from moisture-bearingclouds at high altitudes; 0–2200 m. Flowering time: (September–)October–December(–February), May– August (only B. squalida ). Species: 37 species, concentrated in the southwestern region of Western Cape, extending eastwards to the Uitenhage district in Eastern Cape; fynbos plants, often restricted to mountain slopes, some critically rare. B. trigyna is only known from a few sites close to the Indian Ocean coastline inadjacentareasinsouthern KwaZulu-Nataland Eastern Cape (showing a disjunction of ca. 600 km from the easternborder of the main distribution of the family) at an altitude of ca. 90 m.