Callilepis normae Herman & Koekemoer (2014: 258)

Herman, Paul P. J., 2022, A taxonomic revision of the genus Callilepis (Asteraceae) in South Africa, Phytotaxa 563 (1), pp. 1-62 : 58-60

0. Callilepis normae Herman & Koekemoer (2014: 258) .

Type: — SOUTH AFRICA. Mpumalanga: NE of Lydenburg [ Mashishing ], on Mount Anderson Ranch , farm Goedverwacht , SE of guest cottages, gentle mountain slope, 1899 m, (QDS: 2530BA Lydenburg; GPS: 25°00’33”S 30°36’09”E), 14 February 2014, Koekemoer 4573 (holotype PRE ; isotypes BC, BNRH, MO, NH, P, US). Fig. 35 .

Etymology:—Named for Mrs Norma Mary Rattray, hotelier and conservationist. Together with her husband (since 1972), M.L.P. Rattray, they were the first private individuals to establish a Big Five eco-tourism reserve as well as the first water catchment reserve. They are the owners of the Mount Anderson Ranch where the type species was collected for the first time ( Herman & Koekemoer 2014).

Erect, perennial herb with tufts of annual stems from woody underground rootstock, rootstock deltoid, up to 110 mm in diameter at top, aromatic (smells like fennel: Foeniculum vulgare Miller (1768 : FOEN)). Stems up to 1.2 m high, simple below, branching corymbosely in upper half, ribbed, glabrous. Leaves alternate or spirally arranged, filiform, up to 80 mm long, ± 0.5 mm broad, decreasing in size upwards, apex acute, margin entire, whitish or paler than rest of blade, glabrous. Capitula heterogamous, radiate, up to ± 16 in loose terminal corymbs. Involucre obconical, 10(–12) mm long, 10–12(–15) mm wide. Involucral bracts in 5 or 6 rows, imbricate, outer shorter than inner, straw-coloured, glabrous except for hairy apices; outer row narrowly triangular, 2.2 × 0.5–1.0 mm, acute OR ovate, 3–4 × 1.0– 1.2 mm, apex long acuminate, purplish, margin narrowly membranous, pectinate, midline keeled; second row triangular to narrowly triangular, 3 × 1.5 mm OR ovate, 3.5–4.5 × 1.5–2.0 mm, apex acute to acuminate, purplish, margin narrowly membranous, pectinate, midline keeled, sometimes with row of dark oil glands along margin; third row ovate or narrowly ovate, 4–5 × 2.0– 2.2 mm, apex acute, purplish, margin membranous, pectinate, apically sometimes with two or four rows dark oil glands along margin or otherwise midline dark, broadening slightly towards apex; fourth row ovate, 5–7 × 2.2–3.0 mm, apex acute, purplish, margin membranous, pectinate, apically sometimes with dark oil glands in two rows or otherwise midline dark, elliptically broadened near apex; fifth row narrowly elliptic or oblong, 7.5–8.5 × 3.0– 3.5 mm, apex acute, purplish, margin membranous, pectinate, midline with dark oil glands, elliptically broadened near apex; sixth row oblong to narrowly obovate, 8.5–10.0 × 3.0– 3.5 mm, apex acute, purplish, margin membranous, pectinate, midline with dark oil glands. Receptacle conical, paleate; paleae straw-coloured, narrowly boat-shaped, 7–10 × 1–4 mm, apex acute to bluntly acute, margins pectinate, midline dark, sometimes membranous winged and sparsely pectinate, glabrous except for hairy apices, enveloping disc florets. Ray florets zygomorphic, female, fertile, up to ± 12 in one row, corolla glabrous, white; tube 2.5–3.0 mm long, with staminodes; limb 8–9 × 4–5 mm, oblong to elliptic, narrowing abruptly towards tube, apex minutely 2- or 3-lobed. Styles 3.5–4.0 mm long, bifurcate, but often 3-furcate, exserted; style branches linear or oblong, 1 mm long, apex obtuse, with broad marginal stigmatic areas confluent at apex. Ray ovaries trigonous-obconical to narrowly trigonous-obconical, 4.0–4.5 × 1.2–1.5 mm, surface densely covered with long twin hairs. Mature cypsela not seen. Pappus dimorphic, consisting of 3 or 4 awns, up to 4 mm long, slightly broadening towards base, interspersed by 5 or 6 flat, chartaceous scales, up to 2 × 1 mm, apices and margins pectinate. Disc florets actinomorphic, bisexual, fertile; corolla glabrous, white; tubular below, slightly widening upwards; tube 3–5 mm long, 5-lobed; lobes up to 2 mm long, acute, recurved. Anthers 5, purplish, 2 mm long; apical appendages narrowly ovate, 0.8–1.0 mm long, bases caudate and calcarate, tails 0.8–1.0 mm long, ciliate. Styles 3.5–5.0 mm long, bifurcate; style branches linear, 1.0– 1.4 mm long, apex conical or obtuse, with acute hairs outside at base, with marginal stigmatic areas, confluent at apex or entire inner surface stigmatic. Disc ovaries very narrowly obovate, 4–5 × 1.0– 1.5 mm, laterally compressed, surface densely covered with long twin hairs. Mature cypsela not seen. Pappus dimorphic, consisting of 3 or 4 awns, 3–4 mm long, slightly broadening towards base, interspersed by 5 or 6 flat, chartaceous scales, 1.5–2.0 × 1 mm, apices and margins pectinate. Flowering time: January and February (late summer). Figs 1D, 2C, D, 7B, D, 10C, D, 12A, B, 35.

Diagnostic characters:— Callilepis normae is characterised by its glabrous stems, leaves and involucral bracts, filiform leaves with entire margins, capitula arranged in loose terminal corymbs with imbricate involucral bracts, the outer bracts shorter than the inner bracts, white ray and disc florets, and twin hairy ray and disc ovaries (cypselae?).

Distribution:— Callilepis normae is endemic to Mpumalanga and is, except for specimens from the type locality, known from only two other localities in Mpumalanga (Fig. 31). According to Von Staden (2015), the Red List Status of C. normae is Rare.

Additional specimens examined

SOUTH AFRICA. Mpumalanga: Pelgrimrus Distrik, Ohrigstad[dam]natuurreservaat, steil suidoosfront glooiing, in vlak klipperige grond [Pilgrimsrest District, Ohrigstad Dam Nature Reserve, steep SE facing slope, shallow stony soil], (QDS: 2430DC Pilgrim’s Rest), 23 January 1976, Theron 3568 ( PRE, PRU). Lydenburg District, [Mashishing], Mount Anderson Catchment Reserve, farm Goedverwacht 152JT, Golden Hill, hillside, WNW aspect, rocky quartzite, montane grassland, 1916 m, (QDS: 2530BA Lydenburg), 1 February 2014, Burrows & Burrows 14008 (BNRH image, PRE). Golden Hill, Goedverwacht farm, Mt Anderson, moderate hill slope, grassland, (QDS: 2530BA Lydenburg), 1 February 2014, Raimondo s.n. ( PRE 0863365-0) ( PRE). On mountain slope ± 2 km from Sterkspruit Nature Reserve gate towards Lydenburg, lefthandside of road, grassland, (QDS: 2530BA Lydenburg), 20 January 2022, Steyn 661 ( PRE).

Figures

FIGURE 35. Scanned image of the holotype of Callilepis normae (Koekemoer 4573, PRE).