Gerbera linnaei Cass.

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 : 150

4. Gerbera linnaei Cass. in Cuvier, Dict. Sci. Nat. 18: 460 (1821)

[sphalm. Gerberia ]. Arnica gerbera L., Sp. Pl. : 885 (1753). Gerbera gerbera (L.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl.: 149 (1898), nom. illeg. Doronicum aspleniifolium Lam., Encycl. 2: 315 (1786), nom. illeg. superfl. Gerbera asplenifolia (Lam.) Spreng., Syst. Veg. 3: 575 (1826), nom. illeg. superfl. Type: South Africa, Western Cape Province: ‘ Habitat in Aethiopia’ , without collector, Herb. Linn. 1001.8 [LINN, lecto.—image!, designated by Hansen in Opera Bot. 9 (1985)]

? Arnica coronopifolia L. , Sp. Pl.: 885 (1753). Gerbera coronopifolia (L.) Cass. in Cuvier, Dict. Sci. Nat. 18: 461 (1821). Type: Lost.

Gerbera lagascae Cass. in Cuvier, Dict. Sci. Nat. 18: 462 (1821) [spahlm. Gerberia ]. Type: Not designated.

Gerbera asplenifolia var. buxbaumii DC., Prod. 7: 15 (1838). Type: South Africa, Western Cape: Herb. De Daniel De la Roche ex herb. Van Royen (G-DC, holo.) [only on a leaf-fragment].

Acaulescent perennial. Leaves suberect to spreading, blades oblong or oblanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 8–120(− 150) × (5–)8–15(− 20) mm, pinnatifid to pinnatisect or lyrate-pinnatisect, 5- to 18-jugate, base cuneate, lobes opposite or alternate, suborbicular to quadrate, often oblique, 4–11 × 4–10 mm, often flexed upwards along lower edge, decreasing in size basipetally, apically rounded or tridentate, margins strongly revolute, strongly discolorous, upper surface dark green and glabrous or rarely white felted on midrib, under surface densely yellowish–brownish or greyish-brownish felted; petiole 23–38 mm long, yellowish-greyish felted or woolly, densely silky at base. Scapes sparsely bracteate, 115–400(− 460) mm long, whitish to brownish felted, bracts ±6, subulate, 2–5 mm long. Capitula ± 40–60 mm diam. Involucre campanulate; bracts 3- or 4- subseriate, glabrous, inner bracts longest, (8–) 10–20 mm long, with maroon to purple membranous margins, acute or acuminate. Ray fl orets 15 to 25, cream or white, rarely pink, with purple to maroon under surface, perianth tube 4–5 mm long, lower limb 20–28 mm long, upper limb 3–5 mm long, staminodes present. Disc fl orets dark in colour, tube 5.5–7.0 mm long, limbs 2.0– 3.5 mm long; anther appendages dark brown to black. Cypselas ellipsoid to ovoid, 7–8 mm long, unbeaked or with short beak 1(− 2) mm long. Pappus bristles 6–9 mm long, whitish to whitish tawny, almost always tinged reddish to dark brown at tips.

Flowering: September to February (April).

Distribution and ecology: endemic to the extreme southwestern part of Western Cape, from the Hex River Mountains to the Cape Peninsula and the Kleinrivier Mountains ( Fig. 6 ), occurring on sandstone slopes, 50–1500 m. Flowering takes place only after fire.

Diagnosis: a relatively distinctive species recognized by the pinnatifid leaves ( Fig. 2B ) with suborbicular to quadrate lobes, often flexed upwards along the lower edges ( Fig. 1D & E ), and the glabrous involucral bracts. In all other species at least the outer bracts are partly tomentose. The dark-tipped pappus bristles are another distinctive feature of most collections not encountered elsewhere in the genus.

G. linnaei hybridizes with both G. crocea and G. wrightii where they co-occur.

Additional collections examined.

South Africa. WESTERN CAPE: 3318 (Cape Town): Rooi Els, (− BD), Bolus 8492 (NBG), 4 Nov 1945, Compton 17,522 (NBG); Lion's Head and Devil's Peak, (− CD), Nov without year, Ecklon & Zeyher 3078 pro parte (SAM); Lion's Head, (− CD), May 1887, Thode 8409 (NBG); Pipe line, Camp's Bay, (− CD), 2 Aug 1939, Salter 8221 (BOL); Jonkershoek, (− DD), 19 Nov 1942, Levyns 8462 (BOL), 31 Oct 1962, Taylor 4213 (NBG), 6 Nov 1943, Compton 15304 (NBG). 3319 (Worcester): Waaihoek Peak, (− AD), 13 Jan 1954, Esterhuysen 22,628 (BOL); Hex River Mtns, slopes of Prospect Peak, (− BC), 6 Mar 1943, Esterhuysen 8704 (BOL); Audensberg, slopes above Malkopskloof, (− CB), 15 Feb 1959, Esterhuysen 28,199 (BOL); Upper Zachariashoek, (− CB), 28 Dec 1978, Kruger 1790 (NBG); Villiersdorp, (− CD), 23 Nov 1930, Nel 11,713 (NBG). 3418 (Simonstown): Table Mt, (− AB), without date, Stokoe s.n (SAM); Orange Kloof, (− AB), 7 Dec 1955, Salter 9739 (BOL); Vlakkenburg, (− AB), 17 Oct 1947, Compton 20172 (NBG); Chapman's Peak, (− AB), 24 Oct 1931, Compton 3939 (BOL); mountains between Kommetjie and Glencairn, (− AB), 1 Nov 1964, Schelpe 693 (BOL); ridge NE of Sir Lowry's Pass, (− BB), 2 Sep 1996, Bayer & Puttock s.n. (NBG); Kogelberg State Forest, next to stream below 2nd dwelling, koppie in line with Bobbejaanberg, (− BD), 4 Dec 1991, Kruger 131. 3419 (Caledon): Top of Viljoen's Pass, (− AA), Mar 1951, Stokoe s.n. (SAM); Lebanon forest reserve, Jakkalsrivier catchment, (− AA), 23 Nov 1970, Haynes 455; Grabouw, Arieskraal Farm, (− AA), 30 Dec 1944, Compton 16,839 (NBG), Nov 1944, Lewis 1012 (SAM), 6 Jan 1971, Rourke 1280 (NBG); Houwhoek, (− AA), Dec 1894, Bolus 6925 (BOL, NBG), 20 Nov 1958, Williams 79 (NBG); Kleinmond, (− AC), 29 Jan 1947, De Vos 545 (NBG), 15 Oct 1949, De Vos 1477 (NBG).

Figures

Fig. 6. Distribution of Gerbera linnaei.

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.

Fig. 1. General morphology of Gerbera section Gerbera. A.G. wrightii; B & C.G.sinuata; D & E. G.linnaei; F.G.serrata; G. G. crocea, note the glabrous leaf under surface; H.G.tomentosa; I. Imbricate involucral bracts of G. tomentosa; J.Subseriate involucral bracts of G.crocea. Photographs: A:N.Helme; B, D, E, F, H: J.C.Manning; C: I.Ebrahim; G, I, J: T.Rebelo.