A recircumscription of Jacobsenia (Aizoaceae): Re-instating Drosanthemopsis, with two new quartz-endemics from Namaqualand, South Africa and sinking Knersia *
Author
Klak, C.
Author
Hanáček, P.
Author
Bruyns, P. V.
text
South African Journal of Botany
2018
2018-05-31
116
10
67
81
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2018.02.402
journal article
10.1016/j.sajb.2018.02.402
1727-9321
14036691
4.
Drosanthemopsis vaginata
(L.Bolus) Rauschert
,
Taxon 31(3): 555 (1982).
Drosanthemum vaginatum
L.Bolus
, Notes Mesembryanthemum 2: 138 (1929).
Anisocalyx vaginatus
(L.Bolus) L.Bolus, J. S.
African Bot. 28: 303 (1962), nom. illeg.
Jacobsenia vaginata
(L.Bolus) Ihlenf., Mitt. Inst. Allg. Bot. Hamburg
27: 124 (1997).
Type:
South Africa
.
Little Namaqualand
, on the road between
Vanrhynsdorp and Bitterfontein
, without date,
L. Bolus
sub
NBG1759/29
(
BOL
,
holo
.!)
. [Note: The locality of the
type
collection is thought to be an error, since this species has never been recorded so far to the south (
Ihlenfeldt, 1997
).]
Anisocalyx salarius
L.Bolus
, Notes Mesembryanthemum 3: 386 (1958), nom. illeg.
Drosanthemopsis salaria
(L.Bolus) Rauschert
, Taxon 31(3): 555 (1982).
Type:
South Africa
.
Northern Cape
,
Riethuis
(3017AB),
29 Nov. 1957
,
H. Hall
sub
NBG634/57
(
BOL
, holo.!;
NBG
, iso.!)
.
Compact shrubs to
8 cm
high, main stem in old plants procumbent, young internodes indistinctly papillate becoming smooth with age, difference between long shoots and short shoots indistinct; each stem mostly developing 2 leaf-pairs per season.
Leaves
basally fused into a sheath, sheath to
10 mm
long, grey, usually ascending, upper surface flattened, lower surface towards the apex slightly keeled,
23–35 mm
long,
8–11 mm
diam.; epidermis with large, ± circular bladder cells with flat top, with many antler like protrusions, especially along the margins.
Flowers
emerging from the connate portion of the 1st or 2nd leaf-pair of the season,
35–40 mm
diam., pedicels
7–10 mm
long; sepals mostly 6, rarely up to 8, the two outer ones opposite, the
Appendix 1
remaining spirally arranged; petals white; filaments white.
Fruit
shape of capsule seen from above ± circular to elliptic,
5–9 mm
diam., locules 6–13.
Seeds
brown to light brown, testa minutely papillate, c. 0.7 ×
0.5 mm
.
Ecology and distribution
: The species is endemic to a relatively small area around Riethuis, Namaqualand,
South Africa
(
Fig. 6
). Here it is found in dense colonies on loamy strongly saline sand overlain with quartz pebbles.
Diagnostic characters
:
Drosanthemopsis vaginata
can be distinguished from all other species in the tribe with a similar habit by its remarkable and unique bladder cells (
Fig. 5B
).A very similar epidermis is only found in
D. kwaganapensis
(
Fig. 5A
), from which it differs by its grey leaves and its low spreading habit (
Table 1
).
Conservation status
:
Drosanthemopsis vaginata
is a rare species, known from only a few localities and is listed by Raimondo (2009) as vulnerable (VU).
Additional specimens examined:
South Africa
.
NORTHERN CAPE
:
3017 (
Hondeklipbaai
):
Riethuis near Komaggas
(-AB),
Ihlenfeldt & Herre
sub
SUG13199
(
BOL
);
Riethuis
(-AB),
Wisura
882
(
NBG
);
4 km
S of
Wallekraal
(-BC),
Klak
902
(
BOL
);
8 km
S of
Wallekraal
on road to
Soutfontein
(-BC),
Klak
2311
(
BOL
)
.
Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi. org/10.1016/j.sajb.2018.02.402.