Inclusion of Ihlenfeldtia and Odontophorus in Cheiridopsis (Ruschioideae: Aizoaceae) and insights into generic and subgeneric circumscription in the Conophytum clade Author Powell, Robyn F. Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X 17, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa & Compton Herbarium, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X 7, Claremont, Cape Town 7735, South Africa robyn.powell.sanbi@gmail.com Author Boatwright, James S. Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X 17, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa Author Klak, Cornelia Bolus Herbarium, Department of Biological Sciences, HW Pearson Building, University of Cape Town, Rhodes Gift, 7707 Rondebosch, South Africa Author Magee, Anthony R. Compton Herbarium, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X 7, Claremont, Cape Town 7735, South Africa & Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, P. O. Box 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa text Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 2017 2017-07-27 184 4 457 484 https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/c12a3c59-3c2b-3ecf-89f9-d5ae04e04abd/ journal article 10.1093/botlinnean/box037 d01b4a33-1257-4470-8a2e-15c84aed57d7 7868488 1. Cheiridopsis N.E.Br., Gard. Chron 3: 412 (1925), emend. nov. R.F.Powell. Type : C. rostrata . Ihlenfeldtia H.E.K.Hartmann, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 114 (1992), syn. nov. Type : I. excavata (L.Bolus) H.E.K.Hartmann = Cheiridopsis excavata L.Bolus. Odontophorus N.E.Br., Gard. Chron 3: 12 (1927), syn. nov. Type : O. marlothii N.E.Br. = Cheiridopsis marlothii (N.E.Br.) R.F.Powell. Succulent, perennial shrubs, compact to caespitose or rarely mat-forming, 50–300 mm in height. Leaves isophyllous, with subsequent leaf pairs equal along stem or heterophyllous, with subsequent leaf pairs unequal along stem; triquetrous to trigonous, sometimes rhombic, 4–150 mm long; leaf surface sometimes rough, formed by elevations above subhypodermal idioblasts or velvety; mucronate, sometimes with dentate margins or keels, epidermis papillate, with epidermal cells forming blunt papillae or trichomes; old leaves forming sheaths which usually only partially enclose the emerging leaf pair (fully enclose the emerging leaf pair in only a few species, i.e. C. meyeri , C. minor , C. namaquensis , C. peculiaris ). Flowers solitary; pedicels 30–90 mm ; radiate, 30–70 mm in diameter; petaloid staminodes free, cream to yellow, rarely orange, red or magenta, sometimes magenta-suffused. Capsules woody, pedicels decumbent or erect, top flat to centrally elevated or rounded, base funnel-shaped to semi-globose; 8–18 locules; covering membranes undulate in radial direction, often with elevations in subcentral position, sometimes as prominent bulges, humps or tubes, rarely flat; closing bodies usually large, blocking at least ¾ of locule, seldom smaller, blocking at least ½ of locule; valve wings broad, equal in width to valve, or narrow, 1 / 3 width of valve, sometimes reduced to awns. Seeds flat to round, light to darker brown, smooth to papillate. Figure 8. Leaf and floral characters of Cheiridopsis and Conophytum . (A) New leaves of Conophytum wettsteinii breaking out of their papery sheath, with a magenta flower; (B) partial sheath enclosing the emerging leaf pair, with a magenta flower, in Cheiridopsis glomerata ; (C) leaves of Cheiridopsis meyeri completely enclosed by a white papery sheath during the dormant period, indicated by the arrow; (D) leaves of Conophytum uviforme completely enclosed in a sheath during the dormant period, indicated by the arrow; (E) Cheiridopsis purpurea with the partial sheath, common to many Cheiridopsis spp. which only encloses part of the leaves during the dormant period; (F) Cheiridopsis aspera with the prominent rough leaf surface often found in subgenus Odontophoroides . Table 3. Summary of important morphological and anatomical characters for all the subgenera of Cheiridopsis s.l.
Leaves heterophyllous Trichomes present Form II stomatal protection Magenta flowers Pedicel decumbent Capsule top rounded Valve wings awned
Subgenus Cheiridopsis + − − − + +/− +/−
Cheiridopsis amabilis + ? ? − + +/– −
Cheiridopsis delphinoides + ? ? − + +/− +
Cheiridopsis derenbergiana + ? ? − + +/− −
Cheiridopsis gamoepensis + − − − + +/− −
Cheiridopsis imitans + − − − + +/− +
Cheiridopsis meyeri + − − − + +/− +
Cheiridopsis minor + ? ? − + +/− −
Cheiridopsis namaquensis + − − − + +/− −
Cheiridopsis pearsonii + ? ? − + +/− +
Cheiridopsis peculiaris + − − − + +/− −
Cheiridopsis rostrata + ? ? − + +/− +
Cheiridopsis schlechteri + ? ? − + +/− +/−
Cheiridopsis turbinata + ? ? − + +/− +
Cheiridopsis umbrosa + ? ? − + +/− −
Subgenus Odontophoroides s.l. − +/− +/− +/− − + +/−
Cheiridopsis acuminata − + + − − + −
Cheiridopsis alba −oculata − ? ? − − + −
Cheiridopsis aspera − − − − + −
Cheiridopsis glomerata − + − + − + +
Cheiridopsis pillansii − + − − − + +
Cheiridopsis pilosula − + + − − + −
Cheiridopsis ponderosa − + − − − + −
Cheiridopsis purpurea − + − + − + +
Cheiridopsis rudis − ? ? − − + −
Cheiridopsis speciosa − + − + − + −
Cheiridopsis umdausensis − − − − − + −
Cheiridopsis velox − ? ? − − + −
Odontophorus angustifolius − + + − − + −
Odontophorus marlothii − + − − − + −
Odontophorus nanus − ? − − − + −
Odontophorus pusillus − ? − − − + −
Subgenus Aequifoliae s.l. − +/− − − − − +/−
Cheiridopsis brownii − ? − − − − +
Cheiridopsis caroli-schmidtii − − − − − − +
Cheiridopsis denticulata − + − − − − +
Cheiridopsis herrei − + − − − − +
Cheiridopsis robusta − ? − − − − +
Cheiridopsis verruocosa − + − − − − +
Ihlenfeldtia excavata − + − − − − −
Ihlenfeldtia vanzylii − + − − − − −
Species previously recognized in other genera or subgenera are indicated in bold. ? = missing data/unknown. Diagnostic characters and distribution : Cheiridopsis now includes 38 species classified into three subgenera, Cheiridopsis , Aequifoliae and Odontophoroides . The genus is characterized by the old leaves that form sheaths enclosing the emerging leaf pair partially, but sometimes fully ( Fig. 8 C , E ) and the large multilocular woody capsules, with 8–18 locules ( Fig. 7 C , D ). Cheiridopsis spp. are also compact to caespitose, rarely mat-forming. The diversity of the genus is centred in the Springbok-Steinkopf Region ( Fig. 6 A ) and the distribution follows the winter-rainfall region of southern Africa, with few outliers outside of the winter-rainfall region. The distribution extends from southern Namibia, southwards to Langebaan and eastwards to Pofadder ( Fig. 6 A ). 2. KEY TO THE SUBGENERA IN CHEIRIDOPSIS 1. Pedicel decumbent, leaves heterophyllous................. ............. 3.1. Cheiridopsis subgenus Cheiridopsis 1. Pedicel erect; leaves isophyllous...............................2 2. Capsule top rounded................................................ ...... 3.2. Cheiridopsis subgenus Odontophoroides 2. Capsule top flat to centrally elevated....................... ................ 3.3. Cheiridopsis subgenus Aequifoliae