Gerbera crocea (L.)

Manning, J. C., Simka, B., Boatwright, J. S. & Magee, A. R., 2016, A revised taxonomy of Gerbera sect. Gerbera (Asteraceae: Mutisieae) *, South African Journal of Botany 104 (1), pp. 142-157 : 146-147

2. Gerbera crocea (L.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl.: 149 (1898).

Arnica crocea L. , Sp. Pl.: 885 (1753). Arnica pyrolaefolia var. crocea (L.) Pers., Syn. Pl.: 454 (1807). Gerbera burmanni Cass. in Cuvier, Dict. Sci. Nat. 18: 461 (1821) [sphalm. Gerberia ], nom. illeg. superfl.

Type: Illustration in Burman, Rar. Afric. Pl.: 157, t. 56, f. 2 (1739), lecto., designated by Hansen in Jarvis and Turland in Taxon 47: 353 (1988)

Arnica caffra L ., Syst.Nat., ed. 10: 1219 (1759). Type:Without locality or collector, Herb. Linn. 1001.7 (LINN, lecto.—image!, designated by Hansen in Jarvis and Turland in Taxon 47: 352 (1988).

Doronicum spinulosum Lam., Encyl. 2: 315 (1786). Type: Illustration in Burman, Rar. Afric. pl.: 154, t. 55 (1739).

Doronicum pyrolaefolium Lam., Encyl. 2: 315 (1786). Arnica pyrolaefolia (Lam.) Pers., Syn. Pl. : 454 (1807). Type: Herb. Sonnerat (not traced).

Gerbera macrocephala Less. in Linnaea 5: 295 (1830). Type: South Africa, Western Cape Province, Cape Town (3318): ‘ Montis Tabularis’ , Dec. 1826, Bergius s.n. (probably lost).

Gerbera intergralis Sond. ex Harv. in Harv. & Sond., Fl. Cap. 3: 520 (1865). Type: South Africa, Western Cape Province, Cape Town (3318): ‘ Near Capetown’, Harvey s.n. [K, lecto.—image!, designated by Hansen in Opera Bot. 78: 13 (1985)].

Acaulescent perennial. Leaves suberect or spreading, blade oblanceolate to broadly obovate, 50–130(− 195) × 25–75(− 85) mm, obtuse, base attenuate, margins denticulate or dentate to sinuate-denticulate or subcrenate, rarely sinuate-lacerate, incisions regular or irregular, revolute, usually not discolorous, upper surface dull green, glabrous or rarely thinly pilose to cobwebby pilose-villose, under surface glabrous or with patches of whitish wool or thinly whitish–greyish felted, rarely more densely so; petiole 60–120 mm long, glabrous but densely silky at base. Scapes bracteate, 120–640(− 815) mm, glabrous to brownish felted or with patches of whitish wool, bracts 6 to 28, lanceolate, 4–40 mm long. Capitula ± 25–65 mm diam. Involucre campanulate; bracts 3- or 4-subseriate or almost imbricate, lanceolate, inner bracts longest, 10–17 × 2–3 mm, glabrous to thinly whitish-felted, margins maroon-purple or darkened towards apex, acute to acuminate. Ray fl orets 12 to 20, white or pale pink to dark red with darker or greenish under surface, perianth tube 3–6 mm long, lower limb 10–30 mm long, upper limb 2–4 mm long. Disc fl orets pale, tube 4–8 mm long, limbs 2.0– 3.5 mm long; anther appendages dark brown to black. Cypselas flask-shaped, 6.5–7.5 mm long, including sub-beaked part. Pappus bristles 7–10 mm long, mostly snow white, rarely whitish tawny.

Flowering time: October to January (June)

Distribution and ecology: relatively common in the mountains in the southwestern part of Western Cape, from Groot Winterhoek above Tulbagh and the Witzenberg near Ceres to the Kogelberg and the Cape Peninsula thence eastwards to the Potberg and inland to the Naudesberg near Koo with outlying populations in the southern foothills of the Swartberg near Oudshoorn ( Fig. 4 ), occurring on sandstone slopes. The Swartberg material, although seen and correctly identified by Hansen (1985), was not included on his distribution map of the species. Flowering takes place only after fire.

Diagnosis: recognized by the dentate or irregularly sinuate, usually scarcely discolorous leaves with the under surface glabrous or only thinly tomentose, rarely more densely whitish-felted ( Fig. 2E ), and the dark brown to blackish anther appendages.Plants with the leaf under surface more densely felted can be confused with G. tomentosa but that species has a yellowish-tawny indumentum and pale yellow anther appendages. The pappus in most collections of G. crocea is snow white and this is a useful diagnostic character in these instances as most other species have a tawny pappus. A similar white pappus and dark anther appendages are also characteristic of G. sinuata but that species has leaves with more deeply crenate margins and a densely white-felted under surface ( Fig. 2F ).

G. crocea hybridizes with G. linnaei where they co-occur on the Cape Peninsula.

Additional collections examined.

South Africa. WESTERN CAPE: 3318 (Cape Town): Berg River Hoek , (− BD), 1 Jan 1940, Compton 8323 (NBG); Rondebosch, (− CD), without date, Ecklon & Zeyher s.n. (SAM); Twelve Apostles, (− CD), 12 Dec 1897, Froembling 461 (NBG); above Bakoven, (− CD), 26 Oct 1944, Barker 3229 (NBG); Camps Bay, Blinkwater, (− CD), 29 Dec 1956, Cassidy 130 (NBG); Paardeberg, Siebritskloof, ± 2 km S of farm house, (− DB), 17 Oct 2011, Nicolson & Roets 641 (NBG); Langverwacht above Kuils River, (− DC), 17 Nov 1973, Oliver 4802 (NBG); Stellenbosch flats, (− DD), Sep 1951, Bekker s.n. (NBG); Paradyskloof on western slope of Stellenbosch Mountain, (− DD), 4 Dec 2004, Boucher 7271 (NBG); Jonkershoek, (− DD), 6 Nov 1943, Compton 15,284 (NBG); 20 Nov 1962, Taylor 4383 (NBG), 25 Jan 1978, Kruger 65 (NBG); Swartboskloof, (− DD), 18 Sep 1960, van der Merwe 25–42 (NBG); Stellenbosch, Banhoek, (− DD), Oct 1938, Martley s.n. (BOL). 3319 (Worcester): Witzenberg, Sneeugat, (− AA), Apr 1916, Phillips 1785 (SAM); Witzenberg, (− AC), Dec 1950, without collector NBG34869 (NBG); Dutoitskloof, (− CC), Dec 1949, Stokoe s.n. (SAM), 10 Dec 1950, Barker 7168 (NBG); Dutoitskloof, S aspect above Fisante Kraal, (− CC), 28 Dec 1952, Esterhuysen 20,996 (BOL); SE side of Franschhoek mtns, (− CC), Jan 1949, Stokoe s.n. (SAM); lower slopes of Naudesberg, Koo, (− DB), 24 Nov 1959, Barker 9141 (NBG). 3322 (Oudtshoorn): Boomplaas, Cango Valley, (− AC), 29 Jun 1974, Moffett 301 (NBG); Swartberg Pass, (− AC), 3 Nov 1928, Gillett 1982 (NBG); Swartberg Pass area, (− AC), Dec 1943, Stokoe s.n. (BOL); SW foothills of Swartberg Pass, (− AC), 3 Oct 1978, Bond 1569 (NBG). 3418 (Simonstown): Steenberg, (− AB), Nov 1908, Dümmer 1010 (NBG); Constantia, (− AB), 11 Jan 1919, Purcell s.n. (SAM); Constantiaberg, (− AB), 12 Jan 1940, Salter 8296 (BOL), 17 Jan 1948, Compton 20,377 (NBG); Chapman's Peak, (− AB), 7 Nov. 1935, Compton 5953 (NBG), 7 Dec 1943, Compton 15,426 (NBG); Muizenberg, Kalk Bay, (− AB), Dec 1886, Thode s.n. (NBG); Muizenburg Mtn, (− BD), Nov 1885, MacOwan 524 (SAM); between Miller's Point and Smitswinkel Bay, (− BD), 5 Nov 1986, Esterhuysen 36,399 (BOL); Rooi Els, (− BD), 31 May 1967, Rourke 774 (NBG); between Rooi Els and Hangklip, (− BD), Nov 1945, Lewis s.n. (SAM); Hangklip, Buffelsrivier Valley, (− BD), 20 Nov 1945, Compton 17,589 (NBG); Elephant Rock Estates, Betty's Bay, (− BD), 20 May 1970, Boucher 1273 (NBG); Kogelberg Forest Reserve, Platberg above Oudebos, (− BD), 20 Jun 1969, Boucher 384 (NBG); Kogelberg, N of 2nd dwelling, (− BD), 24 Jan 1992, Kruger 322 (NBG); near mouth of Palmiet River, (− BD), Feb 1942, Leighton s.n. (BOL). 3419 (Caledon): Elgin, (− AA), 10 Nov 1944, Compton 16,520 (NBG), Lewis 1009 (SAM), 19 Nov 1944, Leighton 817 (BOL); Palmiet River, (− AA), 1 Mar 1942, Isaac s.n. (NBG); Kleinmond, (− AC), 9 Dec 1951, Taylor 3809 (NBG); Hermanus, (− AC), 8 Jan 1933, Jordaan s.n. (NBG); mountain slopes behind Mossel River, (− AD), 2 Oct 1950, Martin 556 (NBG); Fernkloof Nature Reserve, (− AD), 8 Oct 1975, Orchard 286 (NBG); Vogelgat, (− AD), 8 Oct 1986, Williams 3690 (NBG), 19 Oct 1986, Williams 3704 (NBG); Riviersonderend mtns, (− BA), Oct 1945, Stokoe s.n. (BOL, SAM); between Elim and Gansbaai, (− DA), Oct 1947, Stokoe s.n. (SAM); Bredasdorp Mountains, 5 km WSW Napier, (− BD), 31 Nov 2000, Helme 1913 (NBG). 3420 (Bredasdorp): Potberg, (− BC), Dec 1948, David s.n. (NBG); De Hoop, Potberg Nature Reserve, (− BC), 28 Nov 1978, Burgers 1590 (NBG).

Figures

Fig. 4. Distribution of Gerbera crocea.

Fig. 2. Leaf upper and under surfaces in Gerbera section Gerbera. A.G. wrightii (Compton 15457, NBG).B. G. linnaei (Rourke I280, NBG).C. G. serrata (McDonald 1486, NBG). D. G.ovata (Goldblatt & Porter 12496, NBG). E. G. crocea (E1. Rourke 774, NBG. E2. Taylor 4383, NBG, note the glabrous under surface). F.G. sinuata (Lewis 6211, NBG).G. G. tomentosa (G1. Kruger 1136, NBG.G2.Nel s.n., NBG).H.G.grandis (Williams 3695, NBG).Scale bar = 10 mm.