Callilepis corymbosa Herman & Koekemoer (2014: 254)

Herman, Paul P. J., 2022, A taxonomic revision of the genus Callilepis (Asteraceae) in South Africa, Phytotaxa 563 (1), pp. 1-62 : 56-58

. Callilepis corymbosa Herman & Koekemoer (2014: 254) .

Type: — SWAZILAND [eSWATINI]. Lubombo Province: SE of Sitsatsaweni at the top of the Mnyame River Gorge , gentle mountain slope, grassland, recently burned, 413 m, (QDS: 2632AC Bela Vista; GPS: 26°27’34”S 32°5’43”E), 24 November 2002, Koekemoer 2596 (holotype PRE!; isotypes BNRH, MO, US). Fig. 34 .

Etymology:—The specific epithet refers to the capitula which are arranged in terminal corymbs.

Erect, perennial herb with tufts of annual stems from underground rootstock, up to 1.2 m high. Stems unbranched basally, branching corymbosely upwards, glabrous, ribbed. Leaves alternate or spirally arranged, linear, decreasing in size upwards and passing into peduncular bracts, 42–65 × 1–2 mm, apex acute to acuminate, often mucronate, base cuneate, margin whitish or paler than rest of blade, glabrous, entire to distantly (minutely) serrulate in upper half, blade glabrous, with prominent main vein. Capitula heterogamous, radiate, up to ± 26 arranged in loose corymbs terminally. Involucre obconical to subglobose or cup-shaped, 8–10 mm wide. Involucral bracts in 5 or 6 rows, imbricate, outer shorter than inner, straw-coloured, glabrous; outer row shallowly triangular or ovate, 3–4 × 1.5–2.0 mm, apex acute, mucronulate, margin membranous, pectinate, main vein dark, keeled and broadening towards apex; second row broadly triangular or ovate, 4.0–4.5 × 2.0– 2.5 mm, apex acute, mucronulate, margin membranous, pectinate, main vein dark, slightly keeled and broadening towards apex; third row triangular or ovate, 4.0–4.5 × 2 mm, apex acute, mucronulate, margin membranous, pectinate, main vein dark, slightly broadening towards apex; fourth row ovate or elliptic, 4.5–5.0 × 2 mm, margin membranous, pectinate, main vein darkish, broadening upwards and with sunken oil glands; fifth row elliptic or oblong, 5.0–5.5 × 1.5–2.5 mm, apex acute, mucronulate, margin membranous, pectinate, main vein darkish, broadening upwards and with sunken oil glands; sixth row narrowly elliptic, oblong to obovate, 5–6 × 1.5–2.5 mm, apex acute, mucronulate, margin membranous, pectinate in upper part, main vein darkish, broadening upwards and with sunken oil glands. Receptacle conical, paleate; paleae boat-shaped, straw-coloured, keeled, 5–6 mm long, with 0.5–1.5 mm long, acute, brownish apex, with dark midline, margins pectinate, with few longish hairs along keel, enveloping disc florets. Ray florets zygomorphic, female, fertile, up to 15, in single row; corolla glabrous, white; tube 1.5–2.5 mm long, staminodes 0, 2 or 3; limb oblong-elliptic, 6.5–9.0 × 2–4 mm, (minutely) 3-lobed. Styles 2.8–3.5 mm long, bifurcate, exserted; style branches oblong or linear-elliptic, 0.3–0.8 mm long, obtuse, sometimes unequal, stigmatic areas marginal, confluent at apex. Ray ovaries brownish or greyish purple, obovate-trigonous, 2–3 mm long, surface glabrous, margins long twin hairy ciliate. Mature cypsela not seen. Ray pappus dimorphic, consisting of straw-coloured awns arising from tips of cypsela ribs and scales in between awns; one long awn 3–4 mm long, one or two shorter awns 2.5–3.5 mm long; interspersed with two to four oblong, lacerated, chartaceous scales, 1–2 mm long. Disc florets actinomorphoc, bisexual, fertile; corolla glabrous, white, tubular below, slightly widening upwards towards lobes; tube 2.5–4.0 mm long, 5-lobed; lobes ovate, 1.5–2.5 mm long, acute. Anthers 5, 1–2 mm long; apical appendages ovate, 0.5–1.0 mm long, bases caudate and calcarate, tails 0.5–1.0 mm long, ciliate. Styles 3.5–4.0 mm long, bifurcate; style branches linear or narrowly oblong, 0.8–1.5 mm long, apex conical with acute hairs outside at base of cone, with broad marginal stigmatic areas, confluent at apex or entire inner surface stigmatic. Disc ovaries brownish or greyish purple, obovate, 3–4 mm long, laterally compressed, occasionally weakly 3-angled, usually with midrib on one surface, surface glabrous, margins long twin hairy ciliate. Mature cypsela not seen. Disc pappus dimorphic, consisting of straw-coloured awns and scales in between; one long awn 3.5–4.0 mm long, one or two shorter awns ± 3 mm long, interspersed with three or four oblong, lacerated, chartaceous scales 1.5–2.0 mm long. Flowering time: recorded for November, December and February. Figs 10B, 11C, D, 34.

Diagnostic characters: — Callilepis corymbosa is characterised by its glabrous stems, leaves and involucral bracts, linear leaves with a single main vein, leaf margins entire to distantly serrulate in the upper half, capitula arranged in loose corymbs, imbricate involucral bracts with the outer bracts shorter than the inner bracts, white ray and disc florets, surfaces of the ovaries (and cypselae?) glabrous but long twin hairy ciliate along the margins.

Distribution:— Callilepis corymbosa is currently known from two localities in Mpumalanga and the type locality in eSwatini ( Fig. 33 ).

Additional specimens examined

SOUTH AFRICA. Mpumalanga: SATICO, northern boundary, Louws Creek area, N aspect, grassland, 956 m, (QDS: 2531CB Komatipoort), 5 December 2011, Burrows & Turpin 12112 (BNRH image, PRE). S of Malelane, SSW of Spargo Dam, Farm ‘Sherlock’ Serenity Lodge, open rocky grassveld on steep NW slope, (QDS: 2531DA Komatipoort), 13 February 2004, McMurtry 11707 ( PRE).

Figures

FIGURE 33. Known geographical distribution of Callilepis caerulea (▲) and C. corymbosa (●).