Pauridia trifurcillata (Nel) Snijman & Kocyan (2013: 30)

Snijman, Deirdre A., 2014, A taxonomic revision of the genus Pauridia (Hypoxidaceae) in southern Africa, Phytotaxa 182 (1), pp. 1-114 : 35-37

6. Pauridia trifurcillata (Nel) Snijman & Kocyan (2013: 30) . Figs. 3A & 14

Bas.:— Ianthe trifurcillata Nel (1914b: 297) ≡ Spiloxene trifurcillata (Nel) Fourcade (1932) . Type (lectotype designated by Snijman & Kocyan 2013: 30):— SOUTH AFRICA. Uitenhage [QDS: 3325CD], 350 ft [107 m], 14 April 1893, R. Schlechter 2490 (BOL!, isolectotypes, WU! [image], Z)

Plants 8–15 cm tall. Corm more or less ovoid, 8–15 mm diam., covered by fine, brown, fibrous tunics; fibres reticulate, firmly attached to basal disc, slightly spreading distally, tips shortly acuminate; cormlets sometimes produced near base; roots slender, mostly straight, arising from corm proximally. Cataphylls membranous, persisting as a dark brown, papery neck up to ca. 15 mm long. Leaves 5–8, sheathing proximally for up to ca. 25 mm, more or less recurved, narrowly lorate, 100–180 × 2–4 mm, carinate, pale green, thin-textured, margin entire. Inflorescences 1 or 2 in flower at a time, (1)2-flowered, slightly shorter to longer than leaves; scape 30–60 × 1 mm, somewhat compressed laterally, pale green; bracts 2, clasping pedicels at base, linear, 10–15 × 0.5 mm, translucent with pale green midrib. Flowers pedicellate, stellate, yellow, rarely white, backed with pale green in both whorls, unscented; pedicels suberect, subterete, 15–80 × 1 mm, spreading when fruiting, pale green; tepals (4)6, sometimes slightly reflexed, narrowly elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, 5–9 mm long, outer 2.5–3.0 mm wide, mucronate apically; inner 1.5–2.5 mm wide. Stamens 6, equal or outer slightly shorter than inner, suberect to slightly spreading, yellow; filaments inserted on ovary rim, outer 2.0– 2.5 mm long, inner 2.5–3.0 mm long, shorter than or equalling anthers; anthers oblong, latrorse 2.0– 3.5 mm long, basal lobes up to 0.3 mm long, apex emarginate, yellow; pollen yellow. Ovary narrowly obconical, ca. 3.0 × 1.5 mm, 3-locular; style ca. 1.5 mm long; stigma branches erect, slender, 2.5–3.5 mm long, slightly shorter or equalling stamens, closely cohering, extended into 3 prominently outspread or down-turned, adaxially grooved lobes from branch clefts, branch tips somewhat capitate distally, basal lobes and distal apices papillose, otherwise smooth, yellow. Capsules obconical, 2.5–5.0 × 2.0– 2.5 mm, dehiscence circumscissile. Seeds depressed ovoid, 0.51 × 0.49 mm, blackish brown, densely colliculate. Flowering period: February–May.

Distribution and habitat:—The Eastern Cape Pauridia trifurcillata is one of the few species of Pauridia endemic to the province. Populations are known from the Bosberg near Somerset East in the north through to Bedford in the east and southwestwards to the lowlands stretching from Humansdorp to near Peddie ( Fig. 13 ). Found within grassland the species’ habitat includes moss-covered rocks on mountain slopes, shaded river banks, seasonally wet drainage lines, and the edges of vleis.

Diagnostic features:—This species is easily distinguished by the flower’s unique stigma branches, which are mostly erect, slender and closely cohering. Furthermore, these are stigmatic only at the capitate apex and on the basal extensions from each branch cleft. Elsewhere the branches are smooth. The three basal, papillose lobes, which are grooved adaxially, are prominently outspread to down-turned, giving the style its distinctive threepronged, fork-like appearance.

The species is similar to Pauridia maryae with regard to the soft leaves and smooth, brown, papery basal sheath. Thus in the past, herbarium collections of the two taxa have often been confused with each other. P. maryae flowers later in the year, from late winter until early summer (July to November), and although the stigma branches are narrow like those of P. trifurcillata , these are papillose over their entire length.

Additional specimens examined:— SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape: Somerset East Division , Farm Glen Avon 74, Waainek (QDS: 3225 DA) , 6 November 2008, Clark & Andrews 250 ( NBG!) ; Bosberg (QDS: 3225 DA) , 15 January 2007, J.C. McMaster s.n. ( NBG 208034 !, PRE!, K!) ; Bedford (QDS: 3226 CA) , 4 May 2008, Adendorff s.n. ( NBG 212039 !) ; ca. 4 km from Bedford to Cookhouse (QDS: 3226 CA) , 12 April 1997, R. McMaster 22 ( NBG!) ; Baviaanskloof near Armansvriend (QDS: 3324 DA) , 17 March 1973, Bayliss 5647 ( NBG! [2 lowermost specimens on left hand side and lowermost specimen in right hand side of sheet]; Zuuranys Conservancy, near Kareedouw (QDS: 3324 DC) , 13 April 2012, Logie sub FBG 729 ( NBG!) ; St Francis, Papiesfontein , between Jeffreys Bay and Gamtoos River (QDS: 3324 DD) , 15 May 2005, CREW CR543 ( NBG!) ; Farm Gonjah , between Patensie and Mistkraal (QDS: 3324 DA) , 31 May 2007, Fourcade Botanical Group 261 ( NBG!) ; Zuurberg Pass , S side (QDS: 3325 BC) , 20 February 1953, Archibald 5163 ( GRA!) ; Addo National Park (QDS: 3325 BC) , 13 May 1977, Hall-Martin 5865 ( PRE!) , 13 May 1976, Hall-Martin 6698 ( PRE!) ; Zuurberg (QDS: 3325 BC) , March 1914, Holland 15a ( GRA!) ; Addo National Park (QDS: 3325 BC) , 8 May 1997, K. Johnson 225 ( GRA!) ; 3 miles Wof Sandflats (QDS: 3325 BD) , 24 April 1947, Acocks 13640 ( PRE!) ; Melkhoutboom, Zuurberg (QDS: 3325 BD) , 31 March 1953, Archibald 5836 ( GRA!) ; Uitenhage (QDS: 3325 BD) , 14 April 1893, Schlechter 2490 ( BOL!, WU!) ; Gamtoos River hills, Humansdorp (QDS: 3325 CC) , 6 May 1952, Barker 7804 ( NBG!) ; Uitenhage distr., Orange Grove, Elands River catchment (QDS: 3325 CC) , 25 March 1974, Scharf 1277 ( PRE!) ; Sunridge Park (QDS: 3325 DC) , 21 March 2000, H.H. Burrows 5400 ( GRA!) ; Port Elizabeth, Markman Industrial area (QDS: 3325 DC) , 14 May 1970, Dahlstrand 1903 ( NBG!) ; on Downes, Cradock Place, near Port Elizabeth (QDS: 3325 DC) , 15 May 1902, Galpin 6432 ( GRA!, PRE!) ; Baakens River area below Mill Park (QDS: 3325 DC) , 12 March 1974, M.C. Olivier 1038 ( NBG!) ; Emerald Hill, Port Elizabeth (QDS: 3325 DC) , April 1909, Paterson 631 ( GRA!) ; Redhouse (QDS: 3325 DC) , May 1915, Paterson 1716 ( PRE!) ; 5 km NE of Salem, Melville Park (QDS: 3326 AD) , 22 March 1994, Dold 1003 ( GRA!) ; Choriotis Pan , 10 km Wof Grahamstown on road to Bedford (QDS: 3326 AD) , 19 April 1948, Power s.n. ( GRA!) ; Atherstone, Albany Division (QDS: 3326 AD) , 28 March 1908, Rogers 3292 ( BOL!) , March 1908, Rogers s.n. ( GRA!) ; Bucklands above Great Fish River (QDS: 3326 BA) , 17 May 1970, E.G.H. Oliver 3148 ( NBG!) ; Penrock near Grahamstown (QDS: 3326 BA) , March 1895, Schonland 701 ( GRA!) ; Grahamstown (QDS: 3326 BC) , 10 April 1946, Bain s.n. ( GRA!) ; Grahamstown (QDS: 3326 BC) , 16 April 1902, Daly and Sole 168 ( GRA!, PRE!) ; Grahamstown (QDS: 3326 BC) , May 1908, Daly and Cheery 976 ( GRA!) ; ibidem, 1894, Glass 881 ( NBG!) ; Grahamstown near golf course (QDS: 3326 BC) , April 1925, Britten 5218 ( GRA!) , 14 March 1948, Creed s.n. ( GRA!) , 26 February 1932, Rennie 220 ( BOL!, GRA!, PRE!) ; outskirts of Grahamstown (QDS: 3326 BC) , 8 April 2007, Fourcade Botanical Group 243 ( NBG!) ; Alexandria District, Perde Vlei near Zuney (QDS: 3326 CA) , 31 May 1956, Archibald 7346 ( GRA!) ; Alexandria District, Kamtra River valley (QDS: 3326 CB) , 25 March 1956, Archibald 6179 ( GRA!) ; Alexandria District Waaiheuwel-De Kol road (QDS: 3326 CB) , 31 May 1956, Archibald 7353 ( GRA!) ; Dassie Klip near Bushmans River (QDS: 3326 CA) , 8 May 1956, Martin s.n. ( GRA!) ; Alexandria (QDS: 3326 CB) , 15 May 1931, Galpin 10835 ( PRE!) , 15 May 1931, Galpin s.n. ( BOL 31837!) ; Kariega Park , ca. 16 km Nof Kenton-on Sea (QDS: 3326 DA) , 11 April 1995, H.H. Burrows 4347 ( GRA!) ; Boknesstrand area, Alexandria (QDS: 3326 DA) , 14 April 1995, H.H. Burrows 4350 ( GRA!) ; Kap River Nature Reserve (QDS: 3327 AC) , 29 March 1998, H.H. Burrows 4820 ( GRA!) ; Humansdorp (QDS: 3424 BB) , 2 April 2004, Fourcade Botanical Group 27A ( NBG!) . Inexact localities: near Zwartkops River, April , Ecklon and Zeyher 135 ( BOL!) ; Zuurberg-Hankey road , May 1923, Fourcade 2566 ( BOL!) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Flower diversity in Pauridia. A, P. trifurcillata; B, P. umbraticola; C, P. pusilla; D, P. longituba; E, P. linearis; F, P. gracilipes subsp. speciosa; G, P. curculigoides; H, P. monophylla; I, P.capensis; J, P. canaliculata; K, P. alticola. Photographs by J.C. Paterson-Jones.

FIGURE 13. Distribution map for Pauridia pudica (triangles) and P. trifurcillata (dots) both from Eastern Cape and P. aemulans (squares) from Western Cape, South Africa.

FIGURE 14. Pauridia trifurcillata. A, whole plant; B, leaf in transverse section; C, two outer stamens in dorsal and ventral views on left and right respectively; D, two inner stamens in dorsal and ventral views on left and right respectively; E, style and stigma branches; F, ovary in transverse section; G, capsule; H, seed. Scale bar A = 10 mm; B = 1 mm; C, D, F = 2 mm; E, G = 1.75 mm; H = 0.3 mm. Drawn by Nicci Page-Cairns from McMaster s.n. (NBG!).