Taxonomic revision of the southern African species of the genus Cynoglossum L. (Boraginaceae)
Author
Madika, Lydia K.
Department of Botany & Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524 Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa
Author
Moteetee, Annah Ntsamaeeng
Department of Botany & Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524 Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa
amoteetee@uj.ac.za
text
PhytoKeys
2022
2022-03-15
193
9
42
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.193.72270
journal article
10.3897/phytokeys.193.72270
4.
Cynoglossum coeruleum
subsp. johnstonii var.
mannii
(Baker & C.H. Wright) Verdc
. in
Fl.Trop. E. Africa, Boraginac.: 110 (1991)
.
Cynoglossum mannii
Baker & C.H.Wright
, in
Oliver
et al.,
Fl. Trop. Afr.
, 4(2.1): 52 (1905)
♀
♂
,
Type
as above.
Cynoglossum geometricum
Baker & C.H. Wright
, in
Oliver
et al.,
Fl. Trop. Afr.
4(2.1): 52 (1905).
Type
:
Nyasaland
[
Malawi
]
♀
♂
Mount
Chiradzulu
, no date,
A. Whyte
s.n.
(K-image!
lectotype
, here designated).
Notes
:
The
specimen
was selected as a
lectotype
by
B.L. Burtt
on the sheet but was never designated formally
.
Paracynoglossum geometricum
(Baker & C.H. Wright) R.R. Mill.
in Notes Royal. Bot. Gard., Edinb. 41 (3): 478 (1984).
♀
♂
,
Type
: Same as above.
Cynoglossum coeruleum
subsp.
geometricum
(Baker & C.H. Wright) S. Edwards
in Fl.
Ethiopia
&
Eritrea
5: 93 (2006)
, nom. inval.
Type
.
Cameroon
♀♂
,
Mount
Cameroon
,
Dec 1862
,
Mann
2005
(K-image,
lectotype
! here designated; K-image [2 sheets]
isolectotype
!)
.
Perennial, biennial, or annual herbs,
1.2 m
in height. Basal leaves 90–190×
28–56 mm
, lanceolate-obtuse, softly hairy, deciduous, margins entire. Stem leaves 35–90×
7–25 mm
, lanceolate, apex acute, base acute to obtuse, covered with moderately stiff hairs margins entire. Trichomes bulbous based on the upper surface of the leaf, sometimes simple on the lower surface. Inflorescences terminal axillary cymes, few branches spreading dichotomously; pedicel
4–8 mm
long, lengthens considerably in fruit.Calyx ca.
21 mm
long, lobes ovate-oblong, adpressed-hairy outside, smooth inside, apex acute. Corolla white with pale blue throat; lobes ca.
2.1 mm
in diameter, campanulate. Nutlets ovoid, 3–4×
2.5–3.5 mm
; glochidia more marginal and on the median line (
Figure 9
).
Phenology.
December to April.
Conservation status.
Least Concern (
Raimondo et al. 2009
).
Diagnostic characters.
This variety can be easily confused with
C. lanceolatum
due to the dichotomous branching of the inflorescence but can be distinguished from it by the distribution and density of the glochidia in the nutlets. The glochidia on the nutlets of
Cynoglossum coeruleum
var.
mannii
are more marginal and on the median line, whereas they are equally distributed around the whole nutlet in
C. lanceolatum
.
Distribution and habitat.
This variety is endemic to South Africa where it is known only from KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Provinces (
Figure 10
). It is also reported from Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe (
Mill and Miller 1984
). It is found in disturbed grassland and sandy areas.
Additional specimens examined.
South Africa. KWAZULU-NATAL: 2731 (Louwsburg): Itala Nature Reserve (-
AD
),
10 Dec 1987
,
M. Jordaan 7064
(
NH
);
9 Dec 1987
,
A.G. Hutchings 2530
(
NU
); Zululand District Municipality Area, Abaqulusi Municipality Area, Tygerskloof Farm (-
CD
),
24 Jan 2012
,
A.M. Ngwenya
and
D.G.A. Styles 4034
(
NH
);
7 Mar 2019
,
A.N. Moteetee
and
L.K. Madika AL010
(
JRAU
). 2828 (Bethlehem): Royal Natal National Park (-
DB
),
17 February 1984
,
O.M. Hilliard
and
B.L. Burtt 17658
(
NBG
;
NU
). 2831 (Nkandla): Nhlazatshe farm, (-
AA
),
4 Mar 1994
,
T.B. Sikhakhane 440
(
NH
). 2929 (Underberg): Mpendhle District, Loteni Nature Reserve (-
AD
),
1 Feb 2001
,
A.M. Ngwenya 1940
(
NH
), Loteni, upper reaches of river (-
BC
),
31 Mar 1984
,
O.M. Hilliard 8218
(
NU
,
PRE
), Sipongweni Mountain (-
CD
),
20 Mar 1987
,
O.M. Hilliard
and
B.L. Burtt 8249
(
PRE
). 2930 (Pietermaritzburg): On the Phezulu Game Estate, Botha’s Hill (-
DC
),
22 Jan 2005
,
D. Styles 2280
(
NH
). 3030 (Port Shepstone): M. Stainbank’s farm, mid Illovo (-
BB
),
23 Dec 2008
,
A. Young 942
(
NU
). EASTERN CAPE: 3023 (Britstown): Kamberg (-
CC
),
21 Mar 1983
,
O.M. Hilliard 8208
(
NU
). 3128 (Umtata): Baziya Mission (-
CB
),
12 Feb 1981
,
O.M. Hilliard
and
B.L. Burtt 13952
(
NU
); Nenga River, (-
DB
),
26 Oct 2001
,
E. Cloete 6342
(
GRA
). 3226 (Fort Beaufort): Hogsback (-
DB
),
Apr 1956
,
R. Collett 9775
(
GRA
);
Apr 1955
,
A.R.H. Martin 9678
(
GRA
);
Apr 1962
,
A. Jacot Guillarmod 5544
(
GRA
);
12 Apr 1955
,
L.M. Johnson 1152
(
GRA
);
4 Mar 1973
,
M. Bradley 55
(
GRA
).
Figure 9.
Vegetative and reproductive morphological features of
Cynoglossum coeruleum
var.
mannii
A
line drawing of dichotomous branching of the fruit stalk
B
marginal and median line glochidia on the adaxial surface of a nutlet
C
Glochidia evenly sized. Voucher specimen:
T.B. Sikhakhane 440
(NH). Drawing scale bar: 7.5 mm. SEM scale bar: 2 mm (
B
); 200 µm (
C
).
Taxonomic notes.
(i)
Cynoglossum geometricum
was recorded in the southern African region (
FSA
) for the first time by
Hilliard and Burtt (1986)
. Although the name seems to be accepted in the Flora of southern African region (
FSA
), for example,
Germishuizen and Meyer (2003)
and
Burrows and Willis (2005)
, it is not the correct name for this taxon. The correct name is
Cynoglossum coeruleum
subsp.
johnstonii
var.
mannii
, as synonimized by
Verdcourt (1991)
. It is worth noting that the latter name is erroneously listed as
C. coeruleum
var.
mannii
in websites such as Plants of the World Online (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/966730-1) and the World Flora Online (http://www.worldfloraonline.org/).
Verdcourt (1991)
relegated
C. johnstonii
to subspecies level under
C. coeruleum
and then transferred
C. mannii
to
C. coeruleum
as a variety of
Cynoglossum coeruleum
subsp.
johnstonii
. (ii) There are three sheets of
Mann
2005
in Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (
K
), the one with the barcode number K000418935 is chosen as a
lectotype
because it displays most of the important characters of the species which can be used to distinguish this species from the rest, such as the inflorescence character and the branching pattern.