Cotyledon mucronata Lamarck (1786: 142

Cotyledon mucronata Lamarck (1786: 142 View in CoL [the first page headed “COU COU”]) ( Figs 1–3 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 , 6–10 View FIGURE 6 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 View FIGURE 9 View FIGURE 10 ).

Type:—An illustration, “Burm. Afr. 44. t. 19. f. 2.”, i.e., Figure 2 View FIGURE 2 published as part of Plate [“Tab.”] 19 (Burman 1738). The text printed to the left of Tab. 19, Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 , i.e., on the plate itself, states: “ Cotyledon foliis latis , sinuosis, in aculeum desinentibus; floribus erectis, angustis. ” Designated as “Type” by Tölken (1979: 617) [repeated in Tölken (1985: 9)], here corrected to lectotype.

Epitype:— SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape Province.—3224 (Graaff-Reinet): 2 km from the town of Graaff-Reinet in the direction of Murraysburg, southeastern Groot Karoo (– BC), 29 October 2024, G. F. Smith 1231 ( epitype, Herb. PRU), designated here.

Homotypic synonym:— Cotyledon undulata Haworth (1819: 21) , nom. illeg. ( Turland et al. 2025: Art. 52.1).

Type:—As for the name Cotyledon mucronata , i.e., an illustration, “ Burman. dec. t. 19. f. 2.”, i.e., Figure 2 View FIGURE 2 published as part of Plate [“Tab.”] 19 (Burman 1738), lectotype, designated here. The text printed to the left of Tab. 19, Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 , i.e., on the plate itself, stated: “ Cotyledon foliis latis , sinuosis, in aculeum desinentibus; floribus erectis, angustis. ”, syn. nov.

Other homotypic synonyms:— Adromischus mucronatus (Lam.) Lemaire (1852: 60) ; Cotyledon undulata Haw. ex Von Poellnitz (1937: 36) var. mucronata (Lam.) Von Poellnitz (1937: 36) .

Nomenclatural notes on the type of the name Cotyledon mucronata :—The only element mentioned in the protologue of the name C. mucronata was the illustration “Burm. Afr. 44. t. 19. f. 2.”. There is no evidence that Lamarck (1786) did not use further specimens when he published the name. The name C. mucronata therefore does not have a holotype. The Burman figure was designated as the “Type” of the name by Tölken (1979: 617), a type statement repeated in Tölken (1985: 9). “Type” is here corrected to “ lectotype ”.

Nomenclatural notes on the type of C. undulata :—When publishing the name C. undulata Haworth (1819: 20) the only element mentioned in the protologue of the name was the exact same illustration, i.e., “ Burman. dec. t. 19. f. 2.”, which Lamarck (1786) cited under C. mucronata . A handwritten label stating “ Holotype ” by “ P. C. Hutchison 1960” was attached to a specimen of C. undulata, Haworth s.n. dated “ Jun. 1820 ”, that is held at Herb. OXF ( Fig. 11 View FIGURE 11 ). This attempted typification was not effective because it was not effectively published ( Turland et al. 2025: Articles 29–31). In addition, the Haworth specimen does not represent original material because it is dated “ Jun. 1820 ”, and the name C. undulata was published in 1819 ( Turland et al. 2025: Art. 9.4). Notably, Tölken (1979: 620) referred to this same Herb. OXF-held A. H. Haworth specimen ( Fig. 11 View FIGURE 11 ), as “Type: Caput Bonae Spei, Haworth s.n. ( OXF, holo.!)”, when considering the variety of C. orbiculata under which to synonymise the name C. undulata . A photograph of the Herb. OXF-held Haworth s.n. specimen, sans any annotation strips, was included in Schönland & Baker (1902b), as “Tab. 431”, preceding the text of the paper.

The two names, C. mucronata and C. undulata , are therefore homotypic, with C. mucronata having priority.

Nomenclatural notes on the epitype of the name Cotyledon mucronata :—To unambiguously fix application of the name C. mucronata it is here epitypified on material from the southeastern Groot Karoo.

Nomenclatural notes on Cotyledon undulata var. mucronata :—The combination Cotyledon undulata Haw. ex Von Poellnitz (1937: 36) var. mucronata (Lam.) Von Poellnitz (1937: 36) was validly published under Turland et al. (2025: Art. 41.1) and is legitimate under Turland et al. (2025: Art. 55.2).

Taxonomic note on Cotyledon mucronata and C. undulata :—The undulate-leaf margined C. mucronata is here reinstated and accepted at the rank of species. The name C. undulata is a homotypic synonym of C. mucronata . Hemsley (1903: Tab. 7931) expressed a similar view.

Amplified description of Cotyledon mucronata :—Perennial, erect to spreading, few- to many-branched, succulent shrub to 300–750 mm tall. Roots fibrous. Branches 12–15 mm in diam., green at first, becoming greyish brown to grey with age, ascending to slanted sideways, then curved upwards, not decumbent, leaf scars obvious. Leaves sessile, grey-green, firm, somewhat leathery, succulent, glabrous, with waxy bloom; blade (65–)70–90(–95) × 40–50 mm, grey-green or greyish white to bright white to uniformly light brownish-infused with age, obovate to slightly elongate-obovate at maturity; adaxial surface distinctly convex to more rarely somewhat planar, smooth, sometimes SlIghTly Incurved In TermInal ⅓; abaxial surface also distinctly convex, smooth; margin greyish white to bright white, appearIng carTIlagInouS, crInkled-wavy eSpecIally In upper ⅓, conTInuouS In upper ⅓; apex rounded-obtuse, sometimes very shortly mucronate. Inflorescence an erect thyrse, 220–400 mm long, comprising 2–3(–5) dichasia, each with few (up to 20) pendulous flowers; peduncle (170–)190–260(–290) mm long, glabrous, with waxy bloom, with bracts that are soon shed. Pedicels 20–30 mm long, gracefully down-curved, distinctly enlarged towards base of flower. Flowers pendulous at anthesis, nectariferous; buds light green, pendulous at anthesis; wilted flowers erectly spreading to erect post-pollination. Calyx light to mid-green to strongly reddish-infused, with slight white-waxy bloom, bloom easily rubbed off, cat claw-like clasping base of corolla tube. Sepals 5, 6–7 × 4.0– 4.5 mm, basally fused for 3–4 mm, free portion deltoid-triangular. Corolla 24–28 mm long, cylindrical, widest at or just above middle, ± straight or very slightly bulging between calyx lobes, with waxy bloom externally, glabrous throughout except for small tufts of light yellowish green hairs where filaments fused to tube; corolla tube (19–) 20–22 mm long, (7–) 8–9 mm in diam., uniformly reddish orange or haphazardly with substantially light yellowish green sections apparently under low light conditions; corolla lobes 13–15 mm long, 5–6 mm in diam., uniformly reddish orange, linear-lanceolate, erect at first, erectly spreading to recurved at anthesis, never fully rolled under, apically acute, minutely mucronate. Stamens 10, in 2 obscure whorls, fuSed To corolla Tube In lower ⅓ of Tube; filaments free for 18–20 mm, light green; anthers 3.5–4.0 × 1.0– 1.5 mm, yellow pre- and post-anthesis, elliptic. Pistil consisting of 5 carpels, ± straight, slightly indented in centre at level of filament insertion on corolla tube; carpels 14–15 mm long, shiny light green, tapering upwards; styles 10–11 mm long, ± connivent to slightly spreading above; nectar scales 1.5 × 1.5 mm, uniformly light greenish yellow, squarish, vessellike turned upwards, minutely repand above, separate, arranged in broken ring. Follicles 15–16 mm long, shiny light green, enveloped in dry, greyish white remains of corolla. Seeds 0.4–0.6 mm long, light brown, sickle-shaped-curved. Chromosome number: unknown.