Callilepis salicifolia Oliver (1885: 65

Herman, Paul P. J., 2022, A taxonomic revision of the genus Callilepis (Asteraceae) in South Africa, Phytotaxa 563 (1), pp. 1-62 : 34-39

5. Callilepis salicifolia Oliver (1885: 65 , t. 1482); Retief & Herman (1997: 297).

Type: — SOUTH AFRICA. Mpumalanga: Sabia River [ Sabie River , vague locality, QDS: probably 2431CD/2531AA/BB], C. Mudd s.n. (holotype K barcode K000410208 , image) .

Erect, perennial herb with tufts of annual stems from underground rootstock, 300–670(–780) mm high. Stems unbranched or sparsely branched, becoming pedunculoid upwards and ending in solitary capitula, ribbed, glabrous, with occasional hair or sparsely hairy, sometimes more densely hairy below capitula, with small hair tufts in leaf axils. Leaves lowermost opposite to subopposite, alternate or spirally arranged upwards, narrowly elliptic, linearelliptic, rarely linear-obovate or very narrowly ovate, decreasing in size upwards and passing into peduncular bracts, (15–)20–65(–105) × 1.5–15.0 mm, tapering on both sides towards apex and base, apex usually attenuate, acuminate or acute, base narrowed petiole-like, attenuate or narrowly cuneate to cuneate, margin glabrous, with occasional hair or rarely sparsely hairy, sometimes in young leaves more hairy, whitish or paler than rest of blade, entire or minutely and sparsely serrulate, mostly in upper half of leaf, sometimes more prominently serrulate in upper half, blade glabrous, with occasional hair or rarely sparsely hairy, sometimes young leaves more hairy, with prominent main vein and two faint lateral veins fading upwards, rarely prominently 3-veined from base. Capitula heterogamous, radiate, solitary. Involucre hemispherical, 15–28(–30) mm wide. Involucral bracts in (2)3 or 4 rows, subequal, inner grading into outer ray paleae; outer row linear-triangular, narrowly triangular, narrowly to very narrowly ovate, (4–)6–12(–14) × 0.5–2.0(–2.5) mm, apex (long) acuminate, margin paler or often very narrowly membranous in lower part, sometimes sparsely hairy and/or faintly pectinate in lower part, surface glabrous; second row linear-triangular, narrowly triangular, narrowly to very narrowly ovate, (5.0–)6.0–12.5 × (0.5–)1.0–2.0(–2.5) mm, apex acute or long acuminate, margin paler or very narrowly membranous in lower part and often minutely pectinate there, sometimes also with few hairs in lower part, surface glabrous; third row narrowly triangular, narrowly to very narrowly ovate, rarely narrowly obovate, (5.0–)5.5–10.5(–13.5) × (0.5–) 1.2–2.5 mm, apex acute or (long) acuminate, margin narrowly membranous in middle or lower part and pectinate there, hairy or sometimes with occasional hairs in lower part, surface glabrous; fourth row/ray palea narrowly to very narrowly ovate, rarely narrowly obovate, 5.0–11.5 × (1.2–)1.5–2.0(– 3.0) mm, apex acute to (long) acuminate, margin narrowly membranous in lower part, sometimes folded inwards, often faintly pectinate, sometimes hairy in lower part, surface glabrous. Receptacle conical, paleate, paleae boatshaped, 4.5–9.0(–10.0) mm long with (0.5–)1.0– 2.5 mm long, dark apex, glabrous, enveloping disc florets and inner ray florets. Ray florets zygomorphic, female, fertile, arranged in 1, sometimes 2 row(-s); corolla white, cream, creamy white, ivory white, pale/light yellow, yellowish cream or yellow; tube 1–3(–4) mm long, limb (9.0–)10.0–21.5(–26.0) × 3–7(–10) mm, minutely 2- or 3-lobed, or unlobed; staminodes 0 to 4(5), (1.0–)1.5–3.0(–3.5) mm long, sometimes exserted. Styles 2.0–5.0(–5.5) mm long, exserted, bifurcate or often undivided, unlobed styles 2.0–4.5(–5.0) mm long, when bifurcate upper part below style branches often cup-shaped; style branches oblong or linear, 0.5–1.5 mm long, sometimes unequal, rarely 3 style branches, undivided style lobe oblong, (0.5–) 0.8–1.5 mm long, apex obtuse, with broad marginal stigmatic areas, basally separated but apically broadly confluent or entire inner surface stigmatic. Ray ovaries obovate-trigonous, 2–6 mm long, glabrous, with narrow membranous wing on side of long awn, or those of inner row obovate, laterally compressed, similar to disc ovary. Ray cypselae asymmetrically obovate-trigonous, 4–5 × (1.5–)2.0–3.0 mm, ribbed, glabrous, narrow membranous wing on side of long awn and continuing up onto it; some ray cypselae laterally compressed, similar to those of disc florets. Ray pappus dimorphic, of awns and scales; one long awn, 2.5–5.0 mm long, (one)two(three) shorter awns, (1.2–)1.5–4.0 mm long, among awns also obtuse or acute scales 1–2(–3) mm long with lacerate margins; shorter awns rarely absent, then only one long awn and ring of scales; in laterally compressed ovaries/cypselae only one long awn and one shorter awn with smaller scales in between as in disc cypselae. Disc florets actinomorphic, bisexual, fertile, many; corolla brown, dark brown, purple, dark purple, mauve, dark mauve, maroon, black, sometimes white with dark anthers and style (Kluge 1987, PRE); tube 3.0–5.0(–5.5) 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, 1.5–2.0(–2.5) mm long, exserted, with narrowly ovate apical appendages, 0.5–1.0 mm long, bases caudate and calcarate, tails 0.5–1.0 mm long, ciliate. Styles 3.0– 5.5 mm long, upper part below style branches often cup-shaped, bifurcate, exserted; style branches oblong, 0.8–1.5 mm long, apex conical or obtuse, with acute hairs outside at base of cone, with broad marginal stigmatic areas, basally separated but apically broadly confluent or entire inner surface stigmatic. Disc ovaries obovate, (2.0–)3.0–6.0(–6.5) mm long, laterally compressed, glabrous, often with narrowly membranous wings along margins. Disc cypselae asymmetrically obovate, 4.0–6.0(–6.5) × (2.0–) 2.5–3.5 mm, laterally compressed, glabrous, ribbed, with narrow wing on side of long awn and continuing up onto it. Disc pappus dimorphic, of awns and scales, one, rarely two, long awn(-s), 2.5–5.0 mm long, one(two, three) short awn(-s), (1.5–)2.0–4.0 mm long, among awns also smaller, acute or obtuse scales (0.5–)1.0–2.0 mm long; short awn rarely absent, then only long awn and ring of scales. Flowering time July to March, peak from August to January. Figs 21, 22.

Diagnostic characters:— Callilepis salicifolia can be distinguished by its narrowly elliptic or linear-elliptic leaves tapering on both sides towards the apex and base, apex usually attenuate, acuminate or acute and the base narrowed petiole-like, attenuate or narrowly cuneate to cuneate, with a prominent main vein and two faint lateral veins fading upwards or rarely prominently 3-veined from the base, solitary capitula with narrow, subequal involucral bracts, white ray florets, purplish or black, rarely white, disc florets, and glabrous cypselae. Oliver (1885) described the leaves as having remotely serrulate margins. Sometimes the leaf margins are very distinctly serrulate, but mostly only minutely and sparsely serrulate, mostly in the upper half of the leaf but more often entire.

Distribution:— Callilepis salicifolia is near endemic to northern and eastern South Africa and is widely distributed in South Africa from Limpopo, Mpumalanga, eSwatini, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal (Fig. 23). The distribution of C. salicifolia is much wider than previously acknowledged. The misidentification of most specimens resulted in an incomplete picture of its true distribution in South Africa. The reference to C. laureola in Herman et al. (2017) is wrong and should rather be C. salicifolia . Callilepis laureola was not encountered in the Free State during this study. According to Foden & Potter (2005), the Red List Status of C. salicifolia is Least Concern.

Additional specimens examined

SWAZILAND [eSWATINI]. Malolotja Nature Reserve, Malolotja valley, above ‘Potholes’ on track, along firebreak, grassland, moderate slope, (QDS: 2631AA Mbabane), 27 August 1985, Heath 344 ( PRE). NW of Mbabane, Malolotja Game Reserve, serpentine, 1600 m, (QDS: 2631AA Mbabane), 1 October 1997, McCallum & Balkwill, M.- J. 187 ( PRE). Ridge between Bremmersdorp [Manzini] and McNabstone, (QDS: 2631AD? Mbabane), January 1905, BurttDavy 2928 ( PRE).

SOUTH AFRICA. Limpopo: Duivelskloof [Duiwelskloof], Westfalia, open veld, (QDS: 2330CA/CC Tzaneen), 24 January 1931, The Forester [Holtz?] 22 ( PRE). Wolkberg, Welcome Mine, open grass field, 6000 ft [1829 m], (QDS: 2330CC Tzaneen), 20 November 1945, Gerstner 5619 ( PRE). Tzaneen, (QDS: 2330CC Tzaneen), November 1913, Rogers 12430 (NBG image, PRE).

Mpumalanga: Mac-Mac Natuurreservaat, grasveld op steil oosfront glooing van eskarpement [Mac-Mac Nature Reserve, grassveld on steep E facing slope of escarp], 1400 m, (QDS: 2430DD Pilgrim’s Rest), 25 October 1979, Kluge 1987 ( PRE). Graskop District, Drakensbergen 541 KT, short closed montane grassland, slight W facing slope, dark brown/black sand, 1556 m, (QDS: 2430DD Pilgrim’s Rest), 11 December 1986, Raal & Raal 1136 ( PRE). Middelburg District, SW corner of Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, bushveld vegetation, chiefly sandy soil, 3100–4500 ft [945–1372 m], (QDS: 2529AC Witbank), 8 December 1959, Mogg 31038 ( PRE). Lydenburg, Witklip, grassveld, 4400 ft [1341 m], (QDS: 2530BB Lydenburg), 6 September 1973, Kluge 160 ( PRE, PRU). Sabie, Langverwag, (QDS: 2530BB Lydenburg), 17 July 1962, Louw 2234 ( PRE). Sabie, Langverwag, frequent on edge of bush, (QDS: 2530BB Lydenburg), 8 December 1962, Louw 2441 ( PRE). Lydenburg, Wonderkloof Nature Reserve, grassveld, (QDS: 2530BC Lydenburg), 5 August 1974, Elan-Puttick 102 ( PRE). Between White River and Nelspruit, (QDS: 2530BD Lydenburg), 24 October 1938, Hafström & Acocks 1546 ( PRE). Along road between Sabie and Witrivier, grassland, recently burned, roadside, sand, 1110 m, (QDS: 2530BD Lydenburg), 4 October 2001, Koekemoer 2088 ( PRE). Barberton District, Songimvelo Nature Reserve, Onverwacht Farm, steep valley, grassy N slope, (QDS: 2530DD Lydenburg), 10 December 1993, Hobson 1772 ( PRE). Nasionale Kruger Wildtuin, Pretoriuskop, Shabin, klipperige helling van Shabinkop, tussen gras [Kruger National Park, Pretoriuskop, Shabin [Shabeni?], rocky slope on Shabin Kop, amongst grasses], (QDS: 2531AA Komatipoort), 26 November 1959, Brynard & Pienaar 4283 ( PRE). Nelspruit District, Kruger National Park, 7 miles [11.2 km] S of Pretorius Kop, Lowveld woodland on sandy slopes, open grassy spaces, 1600 ft [488 m], (QDS: 2531AB Komatipoort), 3 November 1949, Codd 5675 ( PRE). Barberton District, Pretorius Kop, (QDS: 2531AB Komatipoort), October 1931, Lang s.n. and Lang s.n. PRE 43246 ( PRE). Along road between Josefsdal and Ekulideni township, S of Barberton, gentle mountain slope, grassland, recently burned, 868 m, (QDS: 2531BB Komatipoort), 27 December 2020, Koekemoer 5569 ( PRE). Mukwana Heights, N of house, 2.4 km S of Barberton, burnt N facing mountain slope, 3700 ft [1128 m], (QDS: 2531CC Komatipoort), 25 August 1974, De Souza 425 ( PRE). Barberton, (QDS: 2531CC Komatipoort), September 1907, Thorncroft s.n. TvlMus3105 ( PRE). Sheepmoor area, 57 km outside Ermelo towards Piet Retief, grassland, 1500 m, (QDS: 2630CB Carolina), 24 October 1991, Matthews 962 ( PRE, PRU). Piet Retief District, Mooihoek, open grassveld and hill slopes, 4300 ft [311 m], (QDS: 2630DD Carolina), 17 September 1960, Devenish 63 ( PRE). Vryheid, Wakkerstroom, Groothoek, grassveld, 5000 ft [1524 m], (QDS: 2730BA Vryheid), 9 January 1969, Bührmann 23 ( PRE).

Locality not found: Mpumalanga. Kruger National Park, banks of Pabin, grassveld, 2000 ft [610 m], 12 November 1951, Van der Schijff 112 ( PRE).

Free State: Kerkenberg, mountain slope above camping site, grassland, (QDS: 2829AC Harrismith), 29 February 1964, Jacobsz 1410 ( PRE).

KwaZulu-Natal: Newcastle District, Muller’s Pass, ± 4 km from Ncandu River to Ncandu Reserve, gentle N facing slope, roadside reserve, (QDS: 2729DC Volksrust), 19 November 1997, Ngwenya 1636 ( PRE). Utrecht District, Farm Zoetfontein 892[392?], 2 km on R 543 from Wakkerstroom to Luneberg, ca. 1.4 km on Luneberg turn-off, moderate S facing hill slope, grassland, recently burned, 1539 m, (QDS: 2730AD Vryheid), 19 November 2010, Bester 10472 ( PRE). Na(a)uwhoek, Utrecht District, mountain grassland, 6000 ft [1829 m], (QDS: 2730AD Vryheid), 18 December 1964, Devenish 1216 ( PRE). Ngotshe District, 8 miles [12.8 km] due S of Dwarsrand, dense, tall grassveld, 2500 ft [762 m], (QDS: 2731CB Louwsburg), 12 October 1946, Codd 1971 ( PRE). Zululand, Ngome Forest, ± 10 km from main office of forestry, on road to Vryheid, (QDS: 2731CD Louwsburg), 15 October 1982, Germishuizen 2094 ( PRE). Zululand, Ngome Forest, ± 10 km from main office of forestry, on road to Vryheid, rocky grasshill, (QDS: 2731CD Louwsburg), 15 October 1982, Germishuizen 2102 ( PRE). Biggarsberge, (QDS: 2829BA Harrismith), 12 October 1990, Vos 138 (NU image, PRE).?Estcourt District, near Ennersdale, grassy strip along railway, tall grassveld, 4000 ft [1219 m], (QDS: 2829DD Harrismith), 24 September 1944, Acocks 10617 ( PRE). Cathedral Peak Forest Reserve, northern Rainbow Gorge, NNE aspect, grassland, (QDS: 2829CD Harrismith), 4 November 1984, Hardy 18 ( PRE). 5 km from Kranskop to Eshowe, burnt veld along railway line, 4000 ft [1219 m], (QDS: 2830DD Dundee), 11 October 1975, Stirton 5205 ( PRE). Zululand District, Ulundi Municipality Area, Babanango, Gelykwater Farm, Mondi’s property, gentle NW facing hill slope, grassland, recently burned, 1300 m, (QDS: 2831AC Nkandla), 22 November 2011, Ngwenya 3851 ( PRE). Hluhluwe Game Reserve, Amanzimnyama catchment, E slope, open grassveld, (QDS: 2832AA Mtubatuba), 1 November 1965, Bourquin & Fakude 27 (NU image, PRE). Hluhluwe Game Reserve, Zangomfe, on top of Zangomfe hill, 1150 ft [351 m], (QDS: 2832AA Mtubatuba), 12 March 1965, Fakude 85 ( PRE). Zululand, Hluhluwe Game Reserve, Egodeni, (QDS: 2832AA Mtubatuba), 21 October?1971, Hitchins 434 (NU image, PRE). Zululand, Hluhluwe Game Reserve, Hlaza, (QDS: 2832AA Mtubatuba), 15 November 1972, Hitchins 894 ( PRE). Bergville District, Cathedral Peak Forest Research Station, grassveld along top edge of cliffs, 5700 ft [1737 m], (QDS: 2929AB Underberg), 21 February 1952, Killick 1772 ( PRE). Estcourt District, Giants Castle Game Reserve, Witteberg area, N facing slope, 4800 ft [1463 m], (QDS: 2929AB Underberg), 19 September 1965, Trauseld 416 (NU image, PRE). Estcourt District?, Ntabamhlope?, hillside, 5000 ft [1524 m], (QDS: 2929BA Underberg), December 1964, Miller 255 ( PRE). Estcourt District, Tabamhlope [Ntabamhlope], mountain summit, grassveld, 7000 ft [2134 m], (QDS: 2929BA Underberg), 16 January 1938, West 599 ( PRE). Near Mooi River, (QDS: 2929BB Underberg), 10 December 1928, Hutchinson 1856 ( PRE). Mooi River (T.E. Chapman), 1447 m, (QDS: 2929BB Underberg), 1 November 1918, Mogg 3282 ( PRE). Estcourt, open veld, (QDS: 2929BB Underberg), 16 December 1954, Munro PS.494 ( PRE). Mooi River, Mableston [Mabelston], (QDS: 2930AA Pietermaritzburg), 23 October 1918, Mogg 3083 ( PRE). Greytown, just outside town on R 74 towards Muden, hill slope, mountain grassland, recently burned, 1180 m, (QDS: 2930BA Pietermaritzburg), 20 October 2005, Nkuna 2014 ( PRE). Greytown, 3420 ft [1042 m], (QDS: 2930BA Pietermaritzburg), Oct-Nov. 1931, Wylie s.n. TvlMus34060 ( PRE). Griqualand East, in clivis circa Clydesdale, 2500 ft [on hill slope near Clydesdale, 762 m], (QDS: 3029BD Kokstad), December 1884, Tyson 2094 (3 sheets) ( PRE).