Callilepis lancifolia Burtt Davy

Herman, Paul P. J., 2022, A taxonomic revision of the genus Callilepis (Asteraceae) in South Africa, Phytotaxa 563 (1), pp. 1-62 : 24-28

. Callilepis lancifolia Burtt Davy in Burtt Davy & Hutchinson (1936: 84); Retief & Herman (1997: 296).

Type: — SOUTH AFRICA. Transvaal [Mpumalanga]: Carolina, (QDS: 2630AA Carolina), 5600 ft [1707 m], November 1917, Rogers 19689 (holotype K barcode K000410209 , image) .

Erect, perennial herb with tufts of annual stems from underground rootstock, 250–400(–470) mm high. Stems unbranched, rarely sparsely branched, becoming pedunculoid upwards, ribbed, glabrous, hairy to sparsely hairy, with small hair tufts in leaf axils, often hairy below capitula. Leaves lowest opposite or subopposite, upwards alternate or spirally arranged, narrowly obovate or sometimes narrowly elliptic or linear, decreasing in size upwards and passing into peduncular bracts, (13–)18–65(–68) × (1.5–)2.0–7.0(–8.5) mm, apex attenuate, acuminate or acute, sometimes mucronate, base petiole-like or attenuate, margin whitish or paler than rest of blade, entire, rarely in some leaves minutely and distantly serrulate in upper part of leaf, glabrous, with occasional hair or hairy to sparsely hairy, blade glabrous, with occasional hair or with some hairs especially along main vein on lower surface, or hairy to sparsely hairy, usually with prominent main vein and sometimes (in broader leaves) two faint side veins parallel to main vein, sometimes more distinctly 3-veined, semi-succulent. Capitula solitary, heterogamous, radiate. Involucre hemispherical, 17–25(–30) mm wide. Involucral bracts in 3 or 4(5) rows, subequal, inner grading into outer (ray) paleae; outer row linear, linear-triangular, narrowly triangular, narrowly oblong or narrowly ovate, 6.5–7.5(–10.0) × 1.0– 1.5 mm, margin sometimes very narrowly membranous, glabrous or with long or short hairs in lower half, short hairs upwards, sometimes finely pectinate basally, surface glabrous, sometimes with few hairs basally; second row linear, linear-triangular, narrowly triangular or very narrowly ovate, (6.0–)8.0–9.5 × (1.0–)1.4–2.0(–2.5) mm, apex acute to acuminate, margin sometimes very narrowly membranous, densely long-hairy all along or only in lower part, upper part glabrous, or sparsely hairy or faintly pectinate in lower part, surface glabrous or sparsely hairy basally; third row narrowly triangular, narrowly or very narrowly ovate, (5.5–)7.0–8.5(–10.5) × 1.5–2.5 mm, apex acute to acuminate, margin sometimes very narrowly membranous, glabrous or densely long-hairy in lower part, or sparsely and minutely pectinate in lower part and upwards with some hairs, surface glabrous or sparsely hairy on lower part, glabrous in upper part; fourth row ovate or narrowly ovate, 6.5–10.0 × 2.0–2.5(–3.0) mm, apex acute to acuminate, margin ± (narrowly) membranous, faintly pectinate in lower part, sometimes with some hairs, surface glabrous or sparsely hairy in lower part; inner row/ray palea narrowly ovate, (6.5–)8.0(–9.0) × 2.0– 2.5 mm, apex shortly acute or acuminate, margin membranous in lower part and folded inwards there, surface glabrous. Receptacle conical, paleate; paleae boat-shaped, 5–7(–8) mm long with (0.5–)1.0– 1.5 mm long, acute to apiculate, dark apex, enveloping disc florets. Ray florets zygomorphic, female, fertile, arranged in 1, 2 or rarely 3 rows; corolla white, whitish, cream, creamy white; tube (1.0–)2.0(–3.5) mm long; limb (8.2–)11.0–15.0(–17.0) × (3.0–)4.0–6.5(–7.0) mm, minutely, rarely deeply, sometimes unevenly, 2- or 3-lobed, or unlobed; staminodes (0)2 to 4(5), 1–2 mm long, often exserted. Styles (2.5–)3.0–5.0(–5.5) mm long, exserted, upper part below style branches often cup-shaped, bifurcate; style branches oblong or linear, (0.8–)1.0–1.5(–2.0) mm long, apex obtuse or acute, with (broad) marginal stigmatic areas confluent apically (basally separated but apically confluent) or entire inner surface stigmatic, purplish in fresh state. Ovaries obovate, trigonous or those of second and third rows of ray florets obovate, laterally compressed like those of disc florets, (2.0–)2.5–4.0 mm long, glabrous, sometimes with membranous wings. Ray cypselae rarely present in collected material, obovate, trigonous or inner rows obovate, laterally compressed like those of disc florets, (3.0–)4.0(–4.5) × (1.5–)2.0(–2.5) mm, ribbed, glabrous, with membranous wing on one side. Ray pappus variable: some ovaries/cypselae with no awns, only elliptic-obtuse or sometimes acute, lacerate scales, ≤0.5–1.0 mm long OR ovaries/cypselae with one long awn, 2–4 mm long and elliptic-obtuse or sometimes acute lacerate scales, 0.5–1.5 mm long OR ovaries/ cypselae with one long awn, 2–4 mm long, one or two longish elliptic-obtuse awn(-s) or scale-like awn(-s), 1–3 mm long and elliptic-obtuse lacerate scales among awns, 0.5–1.5 mm long, OR sometimes pappus absent. Disc florets actinomorphic, bisexual, fertile, many; corolla brownish, dark purple, purple black, black, dirty pink, but white also recorded; tube 4.0–4.5(–5.0) mm long, tubular, with parallel sides basally, between basal and upper part often with ring-like thickening and from there widening narrowly funnel-shaped upwards, 5-lobed; lobes (narrowly) ovate, 1–2 mm long, acute, recurved. Anthers 5, exserted, 1.5–2.0 mm long, apical appendages ovate or narrowly ovate, 0.5–1.0 mm long, bases caudate and calcarate, tails 0.5–1.0(–1.5) mm long, ciliate. Styles (3.0–)4.0–5.2(–6.0) mm long, upper part below style branches often cup-shaped, bifurcate; style branches linear to oblong, (0.8–)1.0– 1.5 mm long, apex conical, broadly conical or obtuse, with acute hairs outside at base of cone, entire inner surface stigmatic or marginal stigmatic areas, basally separated but apically broadly confluent, purplish in fresh state. Ovaries obovate, 2.5–5.0 mm long, laterally compressed, sometimes with membranous wing, glabrous. Disc cypselae rarely present in collected material, obovate, rarely elliptic, (3.5–)3.8–4.5 × (1.6–)2.0–2.5(–3.0) mm, laterally compressed, ribbed, glabrous. Disc pappus variable: some ovaries/cypselae with no awns, only elliptic-obtuse or sometimes acute lacerate scales, ≤ 0.5–1.5 mm long OR ovaries/cypselae with one long awn, 2–4 mm long and elliptic-obtuse lacerate scales, ± 1 mm long OR ovaries/cypselae with one long awn, 2–4 mm long, one or two shorter awn(-s) or scale-like awn(-s), 1.5–3.0 mm long and elliptic-obtuse lacerate scales among awns, ± 1 mm long, OR sometimes pappus absent. Flowering time October to December, one record for February, with peak in December. Figs 7A, 8C, D, 9C, D, 15.

Distinguishing characters:— Callilepis lancifolia can be distinguished by its semi-succulent, narrowly obovate or sometimes narrowly elliptic or linear leaves with attenuate, acuminate or acute apex and attenuate or tapering petiole-like base, usually with a single, prominent main vein and sometimes two faint side veins parallel to main vein, solitary capitula with subequal, narrow involucral bracts, white ray florets, dark purplish or white disc florets, and glabrous cypselae. Burtt Davy (1936) described the pappus as consisting of only one, very narrow, scale [awn] as a distinguishing character.Although this character can be seen as diagnostic, it is variable and should be used cautiously. In some cases, in both the ray and disc florets, the pappus can be absent, OR the long pappus awn(-s) is/are totally absent and only small scales are present while in other instances one long pappus awn and smaller scales are present (as described by Burtt Davy 1936) ( Figs 8C, D , 9C, D). However there are also florets in a capitulum where the pappus is similar to those of the other taxa in the genus, i.e. in the ray florets one long awn, two shorter awns as well as smaller scales in between and in the disc florets one long awn, one shorter awn as well as smaller scales in between. It is necessary to study more than one capitulum in a collection/population to verify the identification of the specimen.

Distribution:— Callilepis lancifolia is endemic to South Africa and occurs in Mpumalanga and northern KwaZuluNatal (Fig. 16). According to Kamundi & Victor (2005), the Red List Status of C. lancifolia is Least Concern.

Note:— Burtt Davy (1936) quoted two specimens in his original description: Rogers 19689 (K), which he designated as the type, and Rogers 21285 with no indication of herbarium location. One Rogers 21285 specimen was located in the GRA herbarium. According to Burtt Davy (1936) Rogers 21285 was collected at Kaapsche Hoop in the Barberton District. However, the label on the Rogers 21285 specimen housed in GRA seems to contain a mixture of information of the two specimens: the same locality information as that of the type specimen ( Carolina, Transvaal ) but with a different date (November 1915). No date was reported for the specimen in Burtt Davy (1936).

Additional specimens examined

SOUTH AFRICA. Mpumalanga: Along N4 between Belfast and Machadodorp, 1600 m, (QDS: 2530CA Lydenburg), 5 December 2001, Bayer, Chandler, Koekemoer SAF-01009 ( PRE). Along N4 between Belfast and Machadodorp, gentle hill slope, grassland, 1602 m, (QDS: 2530CA Lydenburg), 5 December 2001, Koekemoer 2111 ( PRE). Along N4, ± 10 km from Belfast between Paardeplaas and Eerstelingfontein turnoffs, roadside, grassland, recently burned, 1908 m, (QDS: 2530CA Lydenburg), 7 December 2020, Koekemoer 5555 ( PRE). Belfast, (QDS: 2530CA Lydenburg), December 1923, Pole-Evans s.n. PRE 43276 ( PRE). 7 miles [11.2 km] E of Belfast, open grassy position, (QDS: 2530CA Lydenburg), 10 October 1950, Prosser 1511 / J. B. G. 1682 ( PRE). Machadodorp, (QDS: 2530CB Lydenburg), 9 October 1954, Strey 2807 ( PRE). Carolina District, on R 36 between Machadodorp and Carolina, ± 10 km NNE of Carolina, roadside, moderate ESE facing rocky hill slope, grassland, 1712 m, (QDS: 2530CC Lydenburg), 27 November 2017, Bester 13928 ( PRE). Carolina [? rather Barberton District, Kaapsche Hoop [Kaapsehoop], (QDS: 2530DB Lydenburg), November 1915, Rogers 21285 (GRA). On road between Jambila and Badplaas, 46 km from Barberton, (QDS: 2530DC Lydenburg), 12 February 1985, Clarke 1320 ( PRE). Carolina, Leeuwpoort 195, clearing among belt of pines, (QDS: 2630AA Carolina), 22 December 1907, Burtt-Davy 7384 ( PRE). Carolina, grassy fields, 5500–5650 ft [1676–1722 m], (QDS: 2630AA Carolina), 10 October 1932, Galpin 12433 ( PRE). Carolina District, on R 38 between Badplaas and Carolina, ca. 8.26 km along turn-off to Doornkloof and Jessievale, farm Kleinbuffelspruit 31 IT, grassland, 1799 m, (QDS: 2630AB Carolina), 11 December 2008, Bester 8899 ( PRE). Along gravel road between Badplaas and Chrissiesmeer, roadside, plain, grassland, 1744 m, (QDS: 2630AB Carolina), 23 November 2009, Koekemoer 3863 (BNRH image, PRE). Ermelo District, near farm Hereford, between Lothair and Swaziland [eSwatini], banks of Umpilusi River [Mpuluzi River], NE slope, grassveld, 4500 ft [1372 m], (QDS: 2630BD Carolina), 15 December 1945, Story 677 ( PRE). Ermelo P.K. [ P.O.], Athole Landbou navorsingstasie [Research Station], 4700 ft [1433 m], (QDS: 2630CB Carolina), 5 December 1947, Gericke A.40 ( PRE).

KwaZulu-Natal: Amajuba District Municipality Area, Utrecht Municipality Area, Luiperdkloof Farm, Utrecht, SE facing mountain slope, grassland, (QDS: 2730AD Vryheid), 18 November 2010, Makanya 38 ( PRE). [eDumbe Municipality], Pivaanspoort, (QDS: 2730BD Vryheid), December 2006, Edwards 3463 ( PRE).

Figures

FIGURE 8. Ray cypselae and pappus in Callilepis taxa. A. Digital image of the ray cypsela of C. leptophylla showing the three pappus awns (Edwards & Beaumont 2169, PRE). B. Digital image of the ray ovary of C. leptophylla showing the longest pappus awn opposite the ray limb and exserted style (Hobson 1970, PRE), arrow indicate centre of capitulum. C. Scanning electron micrograph of the ray cypsela of C. lancifolia with single long pappus awn and smaller pappus scales (Koekemoer 5555, PRE). D. Scanning electron micrograph of the ray cypsela of C. lancifolia with no pappus awns, only pappus scales (Bester 8899, PRE).