Rhynchosia bolusii Boatwr. & Moteetee, 2014

Rhynchosia bolusii Boatwr. & Moteetee View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 )

Resembling Rhynchosia capensis in its leaves and few-flowered inflorescences that are longer than the leaves, but differs in the non-twining branches and shrubby habit, smaller, oblong leaflets and fewer (1 or 2) flowered inflorescences.

Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape, Oudtshoorn (3322): stony places, summit Zwartberg [Swartberg], district Prince Albert (–AC), Dec. 1905, Bolus 11841 (holotype BOL) .

Ascending to spreading shrublet, up to? 0.2 m (exact height unknown). Branches densely pilose to glabrescent, with golden sessile glands scattered on the surface. Stipules ovate, pilose and glandular on both surfaces, 1–2 mm long. Leaves alternate, pinnately trifoliolate; petiole 2–6 mm long, pilose and glandular; leaflets conspicuously reticulate-veined on both surfaces, adaxial surface pilose, abaxial surface pilose along midrib, intervenal areas scattered with small, raised, golden glands, adaxial surface dark green, abaxial surface light green, margins entire, slightly thickened and often slightly revolute; terminal leaflets narrowly oblong to oblong, 5–10 x 2–4 mm, mucronate; lateral leaflets narrowly oblong to oblong, 4–8 x 2–3 mm, mucronate. Inflorescence an axillary raceme, ± 15–40 mm long, 1 or 2-flowered, peduncle slender, longer than leaves; pedicels 1.0– 1.5 mm long, pilose, scattered glands present; bract ovate, 1.5–2.5 mm long, pilose with scattered glands on adaxial surface, caducous; bracteoles absent. Flowers 6–8 mm long, yellow. Calyx ± 6–8 mm long, pilose with glands on the adaxial surface, subequally lobed; tube ±1.5–2.0 mm long; lobes subulate, ±4.0– 6.5 mm long, upper two lobes fused slightly higher up than lower three lobes, carinal lobe longer than the others. Standard 7–9 mm long, claw linear, ± 1 mm long; lamina elliptic, 5–6 x 3–4 mm, apex truncate, glabrous. Wings 6–7 mm long, claw 2.0– 2.5 mm long; lamina oblong, ± as long as the keel, 5.0–5.5 x 1.0– 1.5 mm, apex obtuse, glabrous, without sculpturing. Keel 6–7 mm long, claw 2.0– 2.5 mm long; lamina oblong, 5.0–5.5 x 2.5–3.0 mm, apex obtuse, glabrous, pocket present. Stamens diadelphous, 9+1, anthers monomorphic. Pistil shortly stipitate, stipe 0.5–1.0 mm, pilose, scattered glands present, ovary elliptic, 1.5–2.0 x ± 0.5 mm with 2 ovules; style ± 5–6 mm long, curved upwards, glabrous. Pods shortly stipitate, broadly oblong, laterally compressed, 10–11 mm x 4–6 mm, pilose, glands present (especially along the margins) to glabrescent, 1 to 2-seeded,?dehiscent (as the plant was not seen in the field this is not certain). Seeds not seen. Flowering and fruiting time: December (there are only two specimens available, both collected in December).

Distribution and ecology:— This species is known from only two collections from the summit of Swartberg Pass between Oudtshoorn and Prince Albert ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ) and has rather surprisingly not been collected since 1951, although Swartberg Pass is frequently visited by botanists. The label information on these specimens is not very informative so that details on habitat cannot be ascertained. It probably occurs in recently burnt, Swartberg Shale Fynbos vegetation ( Rebelo et al. 2006).

Diagnosis and relationships:— Rhynchosia bolusii is similar to R. capensis (Burm. f. 1768: 21) Schinz (1921: 228) in the leaves that are paler and glandular abaxially, with slightly revolute leaf margins and few-flowered inflorescences with peduncles that are longer than the leaves. It differs in the non-twining branches and shrubby habit ( R. capensis has twining branches and is a climber), smaller (4–10 mm long), oblong leaflets (10–40 mm long and oblong-lanceolate in R. capensis ) and 1 or 2-flowered inflorescences (1 to 6 flowers per inflorescence in R. capensis ). The two species also do not seem to co-occur on the Swartberg Mountains.

Additional specimens examined:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape Province, 3322 (Oudtshoorn): Prince Albert Division, near the summit of Swartberg Pass (–AC), Dec. 1951, Stokoe 66079 ( NBG) .