Echiostachys spicatus (Burm.f.) Levyns

Velani, N., Boatwright, J. S., Magee, A. R. & Manning, J. C., 2023, Taxonomy of the small southern African endemic genus Echiostachys Levyns (Boraginaceae: Boraginoideae), South African Journal of Botany 156, pp. 244-256 : 252-256

3. Echiostachys spicatus (Burm.f.) Levyns

in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 49: 447 (1934);. Echium spicatum Burm.f ., Fl. Ind. Prod. Cap. Pl.: 4 (1768). Lobostemon spicatus (Burm.f.) H.Buek . in Linnaea 11: 145 (1837). L. spicatus (Burm.f.) I.M.Johnst . in J. Arnold Arbor. 34: 293 (1953), nom. superfl. Type: South Africa, Western Cape, ‘Cape of Good Hope’, Anon., s.n. ( G-DEL-803494 , lecto.-image!, designated by Nordenstam and Buys in Taxon 60: 1190 (2011); G-DEL-80395 -image!, isolecto. ).

Echium caudatum Thunb ., Prod. Pl. Cap.: 33 (1794); Thunberg, Fl. Cap.: 165 (1823); Candolle, Prod. 10: 13 (1846). Lobostemon caudatus (Thunb.) H.Buek in Linnaea 11: 147 (1837); C.H.Wright in Fl. Cap. 4 (2): 40 (1904). Type: South Africa, Western Cape: ¸Cap Bonae Spe’ , Thunberg s.n. ( UPS-THUNB4095 , lecto., designated by Nordenstam & Buys in Taxon 60(4): 1991 (2011); MEL6887 -image!, isolecto .).

Lobostemon eriostachyus H.Buek in Linnaea 11: 148 (1837); C.H. Wright in Fl. Cap. 4(2): 40. Echium eriostachyum (H.Buek) DC. & A.DC ., Prod. 10: 14 (1846). Type: Western Cape, Cape Town (3318): ‘ Blaueberg’ [Blouberg] (− CB), Oct-Nov without year, Ecklon & Zeyher s.n. ( MEL238909 , lecto.-image!, designated here.) [Other original material: South Africa, Western Cape, Vredenburg (3217): ‘ Saldanabay’ [ Saldanha Bay ] (− DD), Ecklon & Zeyher s.n.] . Note: We designated the MEL collection as lectotype as it is the only original material that we have been able to locate. Duplicates of other Lobostemon species described by Buek (1837) are available online [https://plants.jstor.org accessed Nov 2022] but only this one of L. eriostachyus .

Lobostemon latifolius H.Buek in Linnaea 11: 147 (1837); C.H. Wright in F1. Cap. 4(2): 39 (1904). Echium latifolium (H.Buek) DC. & A. DC ., Prodr . 10: 14 (1846). Type: South Africa, Western Cape, Vredenburg (3217): ‘ Saldanha Bay’ (− DD), Aug.-Sept., Ecklon & Zeyher s.n. (not located) .

Echium alopecuroideum DC. & A.DC ., Prodr. 10: 15 (1846). Lobostemon alopecuroideus (DC. & A.DC.) C.H.Wright in Fl. Cap. 4(2): 39 (1904). Type: South Africa, Western Cape, Cape Town (3318): ‘ Zwischen Groenekloof und Saldanhabaai , unter 500 Fuss, September, October’, Drege 7854 ( G-DC [ G00137543 ], holo.; G350028 -image!, K418997 -image!, K418998 !-image, P571978 , P599438 , W, iso.).

Common name: Sandveld Boragebrush, White Boragebrush

Caespitose perennial herbs; rootstalk cylindrical tapering. Radical leaves, several (to 12), sub-erect, oblanceolate or elliptic, 140 − 450 X 15 − 50 mm, obtuse or subacute, narrowed and petiole-like below, abaxial and adaxial surfaces usually appressed strigose-villous with a mix or long and short trichomes ± 1 − 2 mm long, trichomes simple or pustular, white, petiole-like base sericeous, occasionally leaves subglabrous but always ciliate. Flowering stem arising laterally to leaf tuft, flexed outwards at base then erect, 200 − 400 mm long, usually villous with patent hairs 1 − 2 mm long, and densely sericeous at base, occasionally glabrous or glabrate; cauline leaves sub-erect, smaller than radical leaves, obtuse or subacute, usually strigose-villous or occasionally glabrous or glabrate. In fl orescence a dense, ovoid or cylindrical pseudo-spike of numerous 1 to 3 (4)-flowered cymules, 45 − 175 X 20 − 50 mm; pedicels 1 − 2 mm long, strigose-pilose; bracts oblanceolate or elliptic, 5 − 10 mm long, lowermost bracts somewhat leaf-like. Calyx slightly accrescent to 12 mm in fruit, sepals linear-oblanceolate, 5 − 10 mm long, obtuse, densely sericeous. Corolla funnel-shaped, ± 12 mm long, white (rarely flushed pale pink); tube ± 10 mm long, outer surface very sparsely villous mainly opposite filament insertion, inner surface bearded between filament bases, lobes ovate, ± 2 mm long; central veins glabrous. Stamens inserted ± 5 mm from base of corolla tube, subequal or usually one shorter than the rest, ± 10 mm long, longest stamen exserted ± 4 mm beyond the tube, shortest exserted ± 2 mm; filaments bearded at base for 4 − 6 mm with hairs running shortly onto tube below filament insertion; anthers ± 0.5 mm long. Style 13 − 17 mm long, exserted ± 4 mm beyond the tube, sparsely villous in lower two thirds. Nutlets ellipsoid-attenuate, inner surface with median ridge, ± 3.5 X 1.5 mm, obscurely striate-reticulate, echinulate with longer glassy trichomes along the striae, pale gray. Flowering time: Sep − Oct ( Figs. 1D, E and 6 ).

Distribution and ecology: Echiostachys spicatus is a narrow endemic of the West Coast of Western Cape, South Africa, from St Helena Bay and Hopefield to near Koeberg ( Fig. 7 ); restricted to deep coastal sands in Sand Plain Fynbos, from near sea level to 100 m a.s.l.

Diagnosis and relationships: Echiostachys spicatus is a relatively large species up to 400 mm high, with radical leaves 140 − 450 mm long, and characteristic large, pure white (rarely flushed pink) flowers with corolla 12 mm long. Most populations have adpressed-strigose foliage and villous flowering stems, but the northern populations from the Vredenburg Peninsula are distinctive in their subglabrous foliage, the upper surface ± glabrous and the lower surface sparsely strigose only towards the margins in the distal part of the blade and along the midrib, and the lower part of the flowering stem also glabrous. The habitat of the species in deep sandy soils in Sand Plain Fynbos is also characteristic.

The large flowers immediately distinguish E. spicatus from the other two species in the genus, which have the corolla 5 − 9 mm long. In addition, the calyx is densely covered with long sericeous hairs, giving the inflorescence a distinctive silvery sheen that is not evident in E. incanus and E. ecklonianus . The latter two species are also ecologically distinct, occurring on loamy soils inland from the coastal flats.

Note: The type material of Echium spicatum comprises two sheets bearing a solitary flowering stem each, the lectotype including a detached flower that has been opened out ( Fig. 8 ). The silky sepals and large flower unambiguously establish the identity of the name. As discussed under E. incanus , Linnaeus (1782) incorrectly misapplied the name to material of E. incanus , leading to confusion in its application among subsequent authors.

Specimens examined

SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape. 3217 ( Vredenburg ): Brittania Bay , (− DC), 15 Sep 1974, Taylor 5190 ( PRE); St Helena Bay, (− DC), Oct 1918, Marloth 8008 ( PRE); Jacobsbaai turnoff from Vredenburg − Saldanha road (− DD), 15 Oct 2007, Manning 3113 ( NBG); Saldanha Bay (− DD), 13 Sep 1931, Levyns 3213 ( BOL); Saldanha, Farm 957, between aerodrome and Saldanha Steel (− DD), 100 m, 15 Oct 2011, Helme 7096 ( NBG). 3218 (Clanwilliam): Klipfontein (− CC), Ecklon & Zeyher 1240 ( BOL, SAM); Salt Pans near Zoutkloof [Soutkloof] (− CD), 11 Sep 1943, Steyn 568 ( NBG). 3318 (Cape Town): Maarmanskop, flats east of fourstead [? homestead ] (− AA), 300, [91 m], 5 Oct 1977, Thompson 3538 ( NBG, PRE); Langefontein 37, just north of old radio base (− AA), 18 Nov 2011, Helme 7387 ( NBG); between Hopefield and Langebaan Road (− AB), sandveld , 18 Sep 1974, Goldblatt 2699 ( NBG, PRE); Klein Berg River (− AB), Oct 1902, Bolus 6300 ( BOL); Hopefield (− AB), Sep 1905, Bolus 12,474 ( BOL); Sep 1925, Nel 14,936 ( NBG); 1930, Ryswyk 11,641 ( NBG); 3 Sep 1944, Compton 15,973 ( NBG); fields near Hopefield (− AB), Aug 1934, Letty 262 ( PRE); 1.6mi [2.6 km] ESE of Hopefield , (− AB), 13 Oct 1959, Acocks 20,670 ( PRE); between Hopefield and Koperfontein (− AB), 1 Sep 1944, Lewis 3239 ( BOL); Koperfontein (− AB), Oct 1930, Ryswyk s. n. ( NBG); 21 Sep 1940, Compton 9467 ( NBG); 14 Sep1953, Hiddlemost 1846 ( NBG); 13 Sep 1974, Mauve & Oliver 124 ( PRE); Koeberg road, 14 miles [22 km] from Cape Town (− DA), Nov 1924, Bolus 18,318 ( BOL).

¨

Imprecise locality: Darling, 27 Sep 1890, Guthrie 2051 (NBG)

Figures

Fig. 1. Echiostachys species. A. E. ecklonianus. Western Cape, Bredasdorp, Sandberg Fynbos Reserve. B, C. E. incanus. Western Cape, Wellington, Elandsberg Nature Reserve. D, E. E. spicatus. Western Cape, Langebaan, Elandsfontein. Photographs:A, Rupert Kopman;B, C, John Manning; D,E, Nick Helme .

Fig. 6. Echiostachys spicatus. Western Cape, Koperfontein, Hiddlemost 1846 (NBG).A,whole plant; B, detached flower; C, corolla opened out; D, single stamen showing bearded filament base. Scale bar: A = 20 mm; B̅D = 2.5 mm.Artist: N.Velani.

Fig. 7. Distribution of Echiostachys spicatus.

Fig. 8. Lectotype of Echium spicatum. Western Cape, ‘Cape of Good Hope’, Anon., s.n. (G-DEL-803494).