Gymnanthemum koekemoerae (Compositae, Vernonieae), a new species from South Africa
Author
Robinson, Harold
US National Herbarium, Department of Botany, NMNH, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. 20560 USA
Author
Funk, Vicki A.
US National Herbarium, Department of Botany, NMNH, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. 20560 USA
text
PhytoKeys
2014
2014-04-30
36
59
65
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.36.7386
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.36.7386
1314-2003-36-59
0F74A217FFEBFFDF5711FFE8DE6B757F
576210
Gymnanthemum Cass.
Gymnanthemum
Bull. Soc. Philom. Paris 1817: 10. 1817. Type:
Gymnanthemum cupulare
Cass. =
Gymnanthemum coloratum
(Willd.) H. Rob. & B. Kahn
Bracheilema
R. Br. ex Salt, Abyss. Append.: 65. 1814, nom. nud.
Decaneurum
DC., Arch. Bot. (Paris) 2: 516. 1833, nom. superfl., type same as
Gymnanthemum
.
Plectreca
Raf., Fl. Tellur. 4: 119. 1838. Type:
Staehelina corymbosa
Thunb.
Keringa
Raf., Sylva Tellur.: 144. 1838. Type:
Vernonia amygdalina
Del.
Cheliusia
Sch. Bip. in Hochstetter, Flora 24(1, Intelligenzbl.): 26. 1841, nom. nud.
Vernonia
subsect.
Urceolata
S.B. Jones, Rhodora 83: 67. 1981. Type:
Vernonia sphaerocalyx
O. Hoffm.
Remarks.
Shrubs or small trees moderately to densely branching; stems often felted, hairs rarely asymmetrically T-shaped. Leaves alternate; petioles short, winged or elongate; blades membranaceous to rather coriaceous, margins entire to serrate or dentate, upper surfaces essentially glabrous and somewhat glossy to arachnoid tomentose. Inflorescences terminal, densely corymbiform, with small bracteoles; peduncles short; involucral bracts coriaceous, 25-35, 4-5-seriate, inner bracts often deciduous. Florets 3-50; corolla white to violet, anther base broadly tailed, tails often long, apical appendage glabrous; style base without or with scarcely distinct node; style branches with stout, pointed sweeping hairs. Achenes 5-10-costate, raphids short, elongate or not evident; pappus of many rather persistent capillary bristles, often with broadened tips, with outer series of short squamellae. Pollen sublophate. Chromosome number
n
= 10, 20. More than 43 species are found in sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Southern Asia, and also introduced into Brazil.
The genus
Gymnanthemum
was described by
Cassini (1817)
, included in
Vernonia
by
Candolle (1836)
and
Bentham (1873)
and resurrected by
Robinson and Kahn (1986)
and
Robinson (1999)
. The generic limits have changed and are now more narrow than in 1999. Currently the genus has nine species in southern Africa (Robinson et al. in prep.), five of which are endemic to South Africa; a key to those is provided here. The four more widespread species are
Gymnanthemum theophrastifolium
(Schweinf. ex Oliv. & Hiern) H. Rob.,
Gymnanthemum coloratum
(Willd.) H. Rob. & B. Kahn,
Gymnanthemum amygdalinum
(Del.) Sch. Bip. ex Walp. and
Gymnanthemum myrianthum
(Hook. f.) H. Rob. The still unfinished monograph will cover all species of
Vernonieae
from Southern Africa with descriptions, keys and pollen images (Robinson et al. in prep.).