Oedera speciosa (Candolle) N.G.Bergh, 2018

Bergh, Nicola G., Bentley, Joanne & Verboom, George Anthony, 2018, Classification of the Relhania generic group (Asteraceae, Gnaphalieae) revisited using molecular phylogenetic analysis, Phytotaxa 344 (2), pp. 101-132 : 120

10. Oedera speciosa (Candolle) N.G.Bergh , comb. nov.

Basionym: Eclopes speciosa Candolle (1838a: 289) . Relhania speciosa (Candolle) Harvey (1865: 302) .—Type: SOUTH AFRICA, Zwellendam, 1835. Drège 1698 (G–DC, holotype!; BM, G, K, L, P, PRE!, S, W, isotypes).

Section VI: Oedera sect. Rosenia (Thunberg) N.G.Bergh , stat. et comb. nov.

Basionym: Rosenia Thunberg (1800a: 161) , syn. nov. — Type species: Oedera glandulosa (Thunberg) N.G.Bergh ( Rosenia glandulosa Thunberg ).

– Antithrixia Candolle (1838a: 277) , syn. nov. — Type species: Oedera flavicoma (Candolle) N.G.Bergh ( Antithrixia flavicoma Candolle ).

– Polychaetia Lessing (1832: 371) , syn. nov. — Type species: Oedera humilis (Lessing) N.G.Bergh ( Rosenia humilis (Lessing) K.Bremer ).

Description: woody shrublets. Leaves crowded on branches, opposite, usually fasciculate on lateral brachyblasts, sometimes becoming alternate on stem elongation, entire, somewhat fleshy, mid-ribbed, glandular on both surfaces or only on apical margins and midrib, glandular trichomes robust with a distinct head and short stalk or sometimes reduced and prickle-like; leaves frequently also sparsely to densely greyish-tomentose on both surfaces, often abaxially with a more sparsely hairy, expanded midrib and margins. Capitula solitary, sessile or terminating pedunculoid stems, frequently in fork of a terminal branch, sometimes flowering branches highly ramified to produce a racemose or cymose synflorescence. Receptacle usually epaleate, rarely paleate, often also shortly squamose. Rays 3–25, disc florets 5–75, perfect. Pappus of short more-or-less connate scales, occasionally with a few outer additional barbellate bristles on the disk florets, or of barbellate bristles only (Oe. flavicoma ). Cypselas glabrous to pilose, more densely so on ray cypselas, frequently also with a basal tuft of hairs.

Cytology: 2n= 14 (Oe. humilis , five specimens); 2n = c. 28 (Oe. oppositifolia and Oe. humilis ; one specimen of each), and c. 56 (Oe. humilis ; one specimen), all from Bremer (1976b). This is the only section in which polyploids have been observed.