Marasmodes polycephala, DC., 1838

Magee, A. R., Ebrahim, I., Koopman, R. & von Staden, L., 2017, Marasmodes (Asteraceae, Anthemideae), the most threatened plant genus of the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa: Conservation and taxonomy *, South African Journal of Botany 111, pp. 371-371 : 371-

9. Marasmodes polycephala

DC., Prodr. 6: 136 (1838); Harv. in Harv. & Sond., Fl. Cap. 3: 175 (1865); Hutch., Bull. Misc. Inform. 1916: 172 (1917). Type: South Africa. Western Cape, Stellenbosch, Hottentottsholland , May 1835, Ecklon 1333 (G-DC, image!, holo.; NBG!, P, image!, S, image!, iso.) .

Oligodorella teretifolia Turcz. Mull. Mosc. XXIV. : 188 (1851). Type: South Africa. Western Cape, Stellenbosch, Hottentottsholland, May 1835, Ecklon 1333 (KW, image!, lecto., designated here; G-DC, image!, NBG!, P, image!, S, image!, isolecto.).

Marasmodes beyersiana S.Ortiz in Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 159: 331 (2009), syn. nov. Type: South Africa. Western Cape, Simonstown (3418), Faure (–BA), 11 May 1945, Bolus 23198 (BOL!, holo.).

Laxly branched shrublets, 0.2–0.4 m tall. Leaves alternate, regularly arranged along branches, erect to suberect, lanceolate, 3–7 × 0.5 mm, simple, mucronulate, secondary basal lobes absent; axillary fascicles absent. Capitula in clusters of 2 to 12, rarely some solitary, at branch tips. Involucre narrowly obconical to campanulate, 2–5 × 3–5 mm; bract margins and apices scarious, sessile glands at appendage base inconspicuous, stereome prominent; outer bracts ovate, 0.5–1.0 mm long, margin and apex broadly scarious; middle bracts narrowly ovate to oblong, 1.5–2.0 mm long, margin broadly scarious, apex with a scarious appendage; inner bracts oblong, 2.5–3.5 mm long, margins scarious, apex with a prominent scarious appendage, reddish pink. Florets ca. 4 to 16; limb 5-lobed from midpoint; lobes erect to recurved. Pappus with adaxial scales ±half the length of corolla tube.

Diagnostic characters

Marasmodes polycephala

Is closely related to M. dummeri and M. fasciculata and the three species share the capitula arranged into prominent terminal clusters ( Fig. 7C ). Marasmodes polycephala can be readily distinguished by the erect to suberect leaves ( Fig. 7D ) (vs adpressed in M. dummeri and spreading in M. fasciculata ). It can be further distinguished from M. dummeri by the longer leaves, 3–7 mm long (vs 2–3(4) mm long) and from M. fasciculata by the prominent reddish pink scarious margins of innermost involucral bracts (vs usually yellowish brown). The distribution of these three closely related species is sympatric.

Distribution and ecology

This species is restricted to alluvial fynbos flats between Faure and Gordon's Bay ( Fig. 5 ). There is critically little of this habitat left, as most has been lost to urban expansion, and there is ongoing development pressure on remaining fragments. Two small, isolated subpopulations persist, one at Gordon's Bay and one at Faure. The formerly extensive subpopulation at Gordon's Bay, monitored by CapeNature's conservation officials during the 1980s has been reduced by habitat loss to urban expansion during the 1990s, and now only 300 plants remain on a 22 ha fragment partially protected in a municipal nature reserve. At Faure, 50 plants remain in a small area of transitional renosterveld-sand fynbos infested with alien invasive plants, and there have been development applications on the land in the past, which have thus far been turned down due to the presence of many threatened plant species. M. polycephala is therefore assessed as Critically Endangered, B1ab(iii,v) + 2ab(iii,v). Of all Marasmodes species, effective conservation of M. polycephala has been most severely limited by taxonomic confusion. Hall et al. (1980), Hall and Veldhuis (1985), and Hilton-Taylor (1996) did not include the species in their Red Data books, and Raimondo et al. (2009) assessed it as Least Concern, as it was thought to be widespread and not in danger of extinction, due to confusion with M. dummeri , and M. fasciculata not being recognised as a distinct species until 2009.

Additional specimens examined

South Africa. WESTERN CAPE: 3418 (Simonstown): Faure, Vergenoegd Farm , E of R310 , N of N2 , south of entrance road off R310 (– BA), 16 Aug 2005, Helme 3522 ( NBG) ; 4 May 2006, Helme 3884 ( NBG) ; Vergenoegd Wine Farm (– BA), 23 Jun 2006, Cowell et al. MSBP 3126 ( NBG) ; Faure , western flats close to national road (– BA), 14 May 1975, Oliver 5914 ( NBG) ; near Faure Station (– BA), 4 May 1929, Duthie 2012 ( BOL, NBG, PRE) ; Harmony / Gustrouw flats, Gordon's Bay , erf 6329, Disa road, 0.2 km SE of Harmony Flats Nature Reserve (– BB), 14 May 2004, Helme 3001 ( NBG) ; Harmony Flats Reserve (– BB), 3 Jun 1972, Oliver 3744 ( PRE) ; 1 May 2005, Runnalls 1159 ( NBG) ; flats between Rusthof and Gordon's Bay (– BB), 16 Apr 1980, Burgers 2343 ( NBG) .

Figures

Fig. 7. General morphology of Marasmodes oubinae (A & B), M.polycephala (C & D), M.spinosa (E–G), M. trifida (H–J), M.undulata (K–M).

Fig. 5. The known geographical distribution of Marasmodes oligocephala (circles), M. oubinae (triangles), M.polycephala (squares) and M. spinosa (diamond).