Ursinia kamiesbergensis Magee & Mucina, 2014

3. Ursinia kamiesbergensis Magee & Mucina View in CoL , sp. nov.

Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape, Kamiesberg (3018): Before turnoff, near Bovlei, to Pedroskloof on road from Kamieskroon to Leliesfontein (–AA), 2 September 2011, Magee & Boatwright 337 (holotype NBG! , isotypes BOL! , PRE! , K! ).

Sprawling to rarely erect annual herb, 0.15–0.30 m tall; single-stemmed or well-branched at the base, branches decumbent. Leaves cauline, alternate, 12.0–50.0 × 7.0–15.0 mm, bipinnate, glandular-punctate, sparsely pilose; lobes lanceolate to linear, 1.0–8.0 × ± 0.5– 1.0 mm, mucronate. Capitula radiate, heterogamous, ca. 20–30 mm in diam., solitary; peduncle 130–190 mm long at anthesis, sparsely pilose. Involucre hemispherical, 4.0–6.0 × 12.0–18.0 mm, glabrous; involucre bracts 4- to 6-seriate, apices with thick, opaque, cloudy scarious appendages; outer bracts ovate, 1.5–2.0 mm long, margins scarious, apical appendages lanceolate to ovate, acute, purplish black along inner margins; middle bracts ovate, 3.5–4.5 mm long, margins partly scarious, apical appendages ovate, obtuse, purplish black along inner margins; inner bracts ovate, 6.0– 7.5 mm long, apical appendages ovate to broadly ovate, obtuse or emarginate. Receptacle paleate. Paleae scarious, apically with ovate to transversely ovate appendages, heteromorphic; outer broadly oblong, appendages narrower than limb; inner narrowly oblong, appendages broader than limb; appendages longer than florets, enclosing developing florets to form reflective disc. Ray florets neuter, 20 to 25; lamina 8–15 mm long, yellow. Disc florets bisexual, numerous, yellow, 5-lobed; lobes cucullate, with sessile glandular trichomes. Anthers slightly sagittate at base; apical appendages cordate. Style terete; branches linear, truncate, sweeping hairs apically-dorsally. Pappus biseriate, white, outer scales 5, transversely obovate, inner scales 5, setaceous, unequally developed. Cypselas oblanceolate, geniculate, ± 3.5 × 1 mm, heteromorphic, scattered, most white, granulate, some black, rugose.

Distribution and ecology: — Ursinia kamiesbergensis is restricted to coarse sandy soils derived from the Mokolian Kamieskroon Gneiss of the top plateaus of the Kamiesberg Mountains, Northern Cape Province ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ), within the Kamiesberg Center of Endemism ( Van Wyk & Smith 2001). We may hypothesise that this species originally occurred in herb-rich and lightly, locally disturbed (grazing wildlife and burrowing animals) openings in the renosterveld scrub. Today it is very common especially in disturbed flats formerly used as arable fields formed by clearing of the renosterveld scrub on deep coarse-grained sandy and loamy-sandy soils. The vegetation type is the FRg 1 Namaqualand Granite Renosterveld (Fynbos Biome; Rebelo et al. 2006).

Diagnostic characters: — Ursinia kamiesbergensis has previously been confused with U. cakilefolia but differs from that species in that the apical appendages of the involucral bracts are obtuse tipped and distinctly thick and opaque ( Fig. 1H View FIGURE 1 , 2J View FIGURE 2 ). Ursinia cakilefolia usually lacks prominent apical appendages on the involucral bracts ( Fig. 2K View FIGURE 2 ) but when prominent appendages are present, as found in populations around Kamieskroon ( Fig. 2L View FIGURE 2 ), they are acute to acuminate, thin, transparent and yellowish-brown. Prominent, obtuse apical appendages are also found in Ursinia speciosa ( Fig. 2I View FIGURE 2 ) but are distinctly transversely ovate and not as much ovate as in U. kamiesbergensis .

According to the taxonomic concepts of Prassler (1967), U. kamiesbergensis falls within the variability of a more broadly conceived Ursinia cakilefolia . Yet it was Prassler’s remark on page 457 that brought the Kamiesberg taxon to our attention: ‘ Besonders erwähnt sei die Aufsammlung SALTER 1446 A, die durch breitere Hüllschuppen abweicht und bei der es sich vielleicht um eine distinkte Sippe handelt. Um dies zu entscheiden, wären jedoch weitere Aufsammlungen, wohl auch eingehende Feldstudien erforderlich.’ (Translation: “Noteworthy is the collection of Salter 1446 A which differs in broader bracts and perhaps should be recognized as a distinct species. To establish that, more collections as well as focused field studies are needed.”). The description of U. kamiesbergensis herein confirms Prassler’s assumption.

Additional specimens examined: — SOUTH AFRICA. Northern Cape Province: 3017 (Hondeklipbaai): Kamieskroon Mountains   GoogleMaps (–BB), 29 August 1937, Compton 6801 ( NBG) ; 3018 (Kamiesberg): Kamieskroon, Kamiesberg Pass, top plateau (–AA), 14 September 2007, Mucina 140907/09 ( NBG, 2 sheets) ; Farm Hoorngat 420 (–AC), 24 August 1983, Le Roux 3165 ( NBG) ; between Leliefontein and Kamieskroon (–AC), October 1933, Mathews s.n. ( BOL) ; Studer’s Pass, south of Farm Koorlandskloof (–AC), 6 September 2005, Mucina 060905/01 ( NBG, 4 sheets) , 6 September 2005, Mucina 060905/02 ( NBG, 4 sheets) ; Farm Welkom (–AC), 19 September 1971, Oliver 3531 ( NBG) ; Farm Wolfhok , 30°23’04.7’’S 18°06’30.8’’E (–AC), 11 September 2007, Snijman 2127 ( NBG) GoogleMaps . Precise locality unknown: Valleys in the Kamiesberg , October 1931, Mathews 20049 ( BOL) ; Kamiesberg , December 1932, Mathews s.n. ( BOL) ; Ex hort. Pillans’ Garden, August 1912, Pearson s.n. sub BOL27326 ( BOL) .