Hilliardiella flanaganii (E.P.Phillips) H. Rob. et al.

Swelankomo, N., Manning, J. C. & Magee, A. R., 2016, The genus Hilliardiella (Asteraceae: Vernonieae) in southern Africa *, South African Journal of Botany 106, pp. 41-59 : 46

2. Hilliardiella flanaganii (E.P.Phillips) H. Rob. et al. in PhytoKeys 60: 87 (2016).

Vernonia hirsuta var. fl anaganii E.P. Phillips in Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 16: 116 (1917); Hilliard, Comp. Natal: 45 (1977). Vernonia flanaganii (E.P. Phillips) Hilliard in Notes R.B.G. Edinb. 42: 238 (1985).

Type: Free State-Natal Border, Elands River Valley near Mont Aux Sources, 1890 m, Flanagan 1947 (SAM, lecto.!, designated by Hilliard: 238 (1985); PRE!, isolecto.)

Herbaceous perennial, 0.6–1.2 m tall, with erect annual stems from a woody rootstock; stem simple, leafy throughout, striate, gland-dotted and densely tomentose with soft, shaggy whitish or yellowish hairs; eglandular vestiture of stalked medifixed T-shaped hairs. Leaves subsessile or shortly petiolate, oblong-elliptic to obovate, 30–120 × 10–55 mm, acute or acuminate, base cuneate, margins sub-entire or serrate-crenate, drying discolorous, upper surface gland-dotted and sparsely pilose, lower surface closely gland-dotted and densely woolly-tomentose with prominent venation beneath, vestiture of short-stalked medifixed T-shaped hairs mixed with long-stalked hairs; petiole 5 mm long. Capitula corymbose, sometimes congested and sub-capitate, ± 15- flowered. Involucre campanulate, 9–10 mm diam.when pressed; bracts ± 4-seriate, gland-dotted and sparsely sericeous-tomentose, eglandular vestiture of medifixed T-shaped or Y-shaped hairs, outer two series subulate, 2–4 × 0.5 mm, inner two series lanceolate-pungent, gradually narrowed and long-apiculate, with purple apices, 5–7 × 1.0– 1.5 mm. Florets purple, corolla 5–7 mm long, gland-dotted and with scattered, appressed hairs distally and on lobes, vestiture of subsessile medifixed Tshaped hairs, lobes 1.5–2.0 mm long. Anthers sagittate with ovate apical appendages. Style 3.5 mm long, branches 1.5–2.0 mm long. Cypselas sub-cylindric, 4- or 5-ribbed, 2.0– 2.5 mm long, densely sericious and gland-dotted; pappus bi-seriate, outer scales 1–2 mm long, inner bristles 4–5 mm long, white. Flowering time: October to January. ( Figs. 1G , 2B , 3B and 7 ).

Distribution and habitat: endemic to the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal and adjacent eastern Free State, from Harrismith to Sani Pass ( Fig. 8 ), occurring on damp grassy slopes and below cliffs, from 1350–2135 m.

Diagnosis: Hilliardiella fl anaganii resembles Hilliardiella hirsuta in its relatively broad, oblong-elliptic to broadly obovate leaves with the upper surface sparsely pilose and the lower surface densely woolly-tomentose and prominently veined but is distinguished by the cuneate base narrowed into a short petiole 5 mm long ( Fig. 1G ), and the larger capitula with longer, lanceolate inner involucral bracts, 5–7 mm long gradually narrowed to a long-acuminate or pungent apex ( Fig. 2B ). The species favours moister places than does H. hirsuta and the two are often sympatric in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg ( Hilliard, 1977; Hilliard and Burtt, 1985).

Additional specimens seen.

South Africa. FREE STATE. 2828 (Bethlehem): Golden Gate National Park, Mt. Pierre Kloof (–DA), 12 Dec 1988, Gertenbach & Groenewald 8939 (PRE); Witzieshoek, mountain slope in sunny places (–DB), 1984, Paton 48 (PRE); Mont Aux Sources (–DD), 1 Oct 1950, Sidey 2029 (PRE). Without precise locality: Orange Free State, Oct 1894, A. Bolus sub-Guthrie 4820 (NBG).

KWAZULU-NATAL. 2829 (Harrismith): Drakensberg Botanical Garden (–AC), 26 Nov 1979, Jacobsz 2234 (PRE); Cathedral Peak (–CC), 12 Dec 1950, Munro 11 (PRE); Cathedral Peak Forest Station, Mike's Pass (–CC), 23 Dec 1988, Luck RSA 64.88 (PRE). 2929 (Underberg): Cathedral Peak Forest, 160 yards [145 m] north-east of weir site among boulders at base of krantz (–AB), 19 Oct 1950, Killick 1048 (PRE); Monk's Cowl Forest (–AD), 19 Dec 1988, Luck RSA 65.88 (PRE); Giant's Castle (–AD), Oct 1914, Symons 43 (PRE); Tabamhlope (–BA), 15 Nov 1937, Pentz 373 (PRE); 1 Dec 1964, Miller 351 (PRE); Estcourt, Little Berg, top of mountain (–BB), 26 Dec 1936, West 27 (PRE); Kamberg, Game Pass Farm (–BC), 10 Jan 1990, Williams 693 (PRE); near Sani Pass Hotel (– CB), 15 Dec 1988, Luck RSA 66.88 (PRE); Sani Pass, hills of police post, below cliffs (–CB), 16 Dec 1984, Hilliard & Burtt 18009 (PRE).

Figures

Fig. 1. Habit and morphology in southern African species of Hilliardiella. A.H. capensis flowering plant, Cathcart;B.H. aristata flowering plant, Kwelera; C.H.sutherlandii flowering plant, Johannesburg;D.H.elaeagnoides foliage,Bloemfontein;E.H.hirsuta flowering plant,Witsieshoek;F.H.hirsuta foliage,Swaziland;G,H.flanaganii foliage,Bergville.Photographs:A,B and E, J. Manning; C,A.Hankey; D, N.Berkel; F, K. Brauns; G, P. Warren.

Fig. 2. Capitulum morphology in southern African species of Hilliardiella. A.H.hirsuta (Liebenberg 3083, PRE);B.H.flanaganii showing long-acuminate involucral bracts (West 27, PRE);C. H.sutherlandii (Bester 8248, PRE); D.H.nudicaulis (Pegler 60, PRE);E.H.elaeagnoides (Jacobsen 1161, PRE);F.H.capensis (Moll 2363, PRE);G.H.aristata showing long-attenuate involucral bracts (Kluge 249, PRE).Scale bar = 5 mm.

Fig. 3. Cypsela morphology in southern African species of Hilliardiella (pappus mostly excluded). A. H. hirsuta (Steyn 842, PRE); B. H. flanaganii (Bolus sub Guthrie 4820, NBG); C. H. sutherlandii (Compton 31076, NBG); D. H. nudicaulis (Compton 23855, NBG); E. H. elaeagnoides (Müller 402, NBG); F.H. capensis (Anon, NBG183430, NBG); G. H. aristata (MarkÖtter s.n., NBG). Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 7. Hilliardiella flanaganii (Flanagan 1947, SAM).

Fig. 8. Distribution of Hilliardiella flanaganii.