Hyacinthaceae
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112 Bothalia 33,1 (2003) LAMIACEAE THE CORRECT NAME FOR SALVIA THERMARA Salvia thennara, published in Bothalia 29: 100, 101 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (Van Jaarsveld 1999) was named with reference to the Goudini warm springs near Worcester, Western Cape. Mr I am indebted to Mr John Lavranos for bringing this John Lavranos, a well-known succulent plant botanist, error to my attention. who is Greek-speaking, brought to my attention that this name is not correct. The Latin word for hot springs, REFERENCE derived from Greek is thermae. In the genitive it is ther- manim = of the hot springs. VAN JAARSVELD, E.J. 1999. Salvia thennara, a new species from the Western Cape, South Africa. Bothalia 29: 100, 101. The conect name is therefore: Salvia thermarum Van Jaarsv. E.J. VAN JAARSVELD* TYPE.—Western Cape, 3319 (Worcester): Badsberg, * National Botanical Institute, Kirstenbosch, Private Bag XI, 7735 Goudini Spa, near Worcester on the Slanghoek trail, 15 Dec. Claremont. 1997, (-CB), Van Jaarsveld & Vorster 15533 (NBG holo.). MS. received: 2002-10-23. HYACINTHACEAE A NEW SPECIES OF ORNITHOGALUM FROM EASTERN CAPE. SOUTH AFRICA Ornithogalum perdurans A.PDold & S.A. Ham- 1 mm broad, white. Capsule ovoid-acute, 4. 5-5.0 x 3-4 mer, sp. nov., O. jimcifolio Jacq. affinis sed folio semi- mm, deeply 3-lobed, membranous, fragile, apices sepa- tereti pagina supera tenuiter canaliculata atroviridi et tota rating, becoming erect at dehiscence, pale brown, peri- pagina rugosa cum sulcis plus minusve parallelis trans- anth segments persistent, drying and withering irregular- versis undulatisque et subinde trichomatibus brevibus ly, equal to or just longer than capsule, pale brown with rigidis albidis omnino differt. dark brown midrib. Seed angular, up to 1.4 x 0.5 mm, rugose, black. Eigure 10. TYPE.—Eastern Cape, 3325 (Port Elizabeth): Komma- dagga Earm, Kommadagga, (-BB), 500 m, 6-9-1999, Bold Ornithogalum perdurans falls into subgenus Aspasia & Hammer 4441 (GRA, holo.). (Salisb.) Oberm. emend. U.Mull.-Doblies & D.Miilk- Doblies section Linaspasia U.Mull.-Doblies & D.Miilk- Plant xerophytic, dwarf. Bulb globose, epigeal, 20-30 Doblies series Juncifolia U.Mull.-Doblies & D.Miilk- mm diam.; outer tunics thin, wrinkled, pale brownish Doblies together with O. juncifolium but is distinguished grey, not neck-forming; inner tunics thin, clasping, per- from that species (Obermeyer 1978; Muller-Doblies & sistent, transparent with green venation, narrowing Muller-Doblies 1996) primarily on vegetative characters, abruptly to leaf base. Leaves 4-13, persistent, semi-terete, although some differences also occur in floral morpholo- linear, 40-60 x 1.0-1. 4 mm, erect, wiry, twisting 2-3 gy (Table 2). The long-lived leaves (persisting for over times, narrowly channelled adaxially, apices subacute, two years), are almost black in colour and are semi-terete dark green (almost black), entire surface rugose with ± in section with a narrow groove along the upper surface parallel, undulating, transverse grooves, with occasional and weak longitudinal ribs on the abaxial surface, occa- short, stiff, whitish trichomes 0.6 mm long throughout. sional, scattered white trichomes are found throughout. Raceme solitary, 20-40-flowered; peduncle 190-250 mm The entire leaf surface is rugose with ± parallel, undulat- long, up to 1.2 mm diam., stiffly erect, glabrous, dark ing, transverse grooves within which fine sand particles shiny green; bracts deltoid, 4.4 x 2.8 mm, auriculate, are held firmly (Eigure 11 A, B), giving the leaf a dry, clasping, attenuate, transparent with fawn-coloured keel; dusty appearance, not easily removed even with wash- lower pedicels longest, held at ± 45°, 7 mm long, up to 0.8 ing. This phenomenon in the suborder Liliiflorae has mm diam., green. Perianth segments spreading-reflexed; been suggested to be an adaptation against herbivory, inner elliptic, up to 6.4 x 2.8 mm; outer ovate, 7. 0-7.4 x high insolation and wind abrasion (Neinhuis et al. 1996). up to 3.2 mm, pale fawn-coloured with thin, green midrib The leaves do not sheath at the base and, being persis- (turning brown at senescence), apices incurved. Stamens tent, do not form a fibrous neck of old leaf bases. The patent; filaments lanceolate, broadest just above base, specific epithet perdurans refers to the perennial leaves. flattened, white, outer up to 4.5 x 0.8 mm, inner up to 4.5 A single inflorescence is produced. The perianth seg- X 1.2- 1.6 mm; anthers ovoid, up to 1.4 x 0.6 mm; ovary ments are 6.4—7.4 mm long. The deciduous leaves of ovoid, up to 3 X 2 mm, green; style up to 2.5 mm long, O. juncifolium are filiform to linear (involute or flat), terete, white; stigma 3-lobed, densely glandular-haired. conspicuously longitudinally ribbed abaxially with . Bothalia 33,1 (2003) 113 FIGURE 10. —Oniitliogaliim perdu- rcms, Dold & Hammer 4441 A. plant habit; B, inflores- cence in bud; C, inflores- cence at anthesis; D. peri- anth. Scale bars: 10 mm. strigose margins (Figure IIC) and are green in colour. Although Obermeyer (1978) includes 16 synonyms Sheathing at the base, the leaves form a membranous for the variable O. juncifoliwn, only one of which is res- neck that persists and often later becomes fibrous. One to urrected by Muller-Doblies & Mliller-Doblies (1996), three inflorescences are produced. The perianth seg- type material of all of these has been examined and the ments are 7-10 mm long. leaf characters of O. perdumns are distinctive. O. comp- TABLE 2. —Morphological differences between Ornithogaliim perdumns and O. juncifoliiim 0. perdumns O. jimcifolium Leaf long-lived deciduous almost black variably green semi-terete filiform to linear weakly longitudinally ribbed and rugose with undulating strongly longitudinally ribbed transverse grooves occasional short, stiff, whitish trichomes throughout margin strigose not membranous sheathing basally membranous sheathing fibrous neck absent fibrous neck present or absent Raceme 1 1-3 Perianth segments 6.4—7.4 mm long 7-10 mm long . 114 Bothalia 33,1 (2003) . FIGURE 1 1 —A, B, D, Omithogulum perdunins, Dold & Hammer 4441 A, leaf surface with sand particles removed showing undulating trans- verse grooves; B, leaf surface showing strongly adhering sand particles; D, seed. C, O. jimcifolium, leaf showing longitudinally ribbed sur- face with strigose margin, Dold 447. Scale bars; 100 pm. turn Baker and O. sardienii Van Jaarsv, have erect, wiry Table Farm is Grahamstown Silcrete that comprises sil- leaves resembling those of O. perdurans, however the crete remnants overlying kaolinized bedrock (Johnson & former is distinguished by its flattened lamina, without Le Roux 1994). The soil is consequently very shallow and adhering sand particles, and conspicuously thickened, ± nutrient poor. The rock types at Kommadagga Farm are cartilaginous margin. Furthermore, the lower pedicels made up of the Kommadagga subgroup of the Witteberg are 2-3 mm long, whereas the lower pedicels of O, per- group comprising shales, siltstones and subordinate sand- durems are up to 7 mm long, O. sardienii is easily disting- stones (Toerien & Hill 1989). uished by its unique mucronate leaf and tuberculate ovary, Oruithogalnm perdurans is known from two localities. Table Farm, 12 km west of Grahamstown (33°10'50"S 26°25'15"E), at an altitude of 550 m, with an average annual rainfall of 389 mm (R, White pers. comm,. Table Farm, Grahamstown 2002), and Kommadagga Farm, 60 km west of Grahamstown (33°09'30"S 25°53'00"E), at 500 m, with an average annual rainfall of 420 mm (J, Moolman pers, comm,, Kommadagga Earm) (Eigure 12), The vegetation type is classified as Eastern Mixed Nama- Karoo by Hoffman ( 1996), which was previously known as Fakse Karroid Broken Veld (Acocks 1988), Dominant species at these localities are Aristida congesta, Felicia muricata, Merxmuellera dislicha, Nenax inicrophylla, Pentzia glohosa and Tragus koelerioides. Succulent species include Corpuscularia lehnuinnii. Euphorbia meloformis, E. gorgonis, Senecio radicans and Tricliodia- dema hulhosum. d’he geological formation underlying Bothalia 33.1 (2003) 115 In his description of Ornithogalum unifolium (= O. O. perdurans dyeri) from Table Farm, Dyer (1930) noted that the EASTERN CAPE. 3326 (Grahamstown): Table Farm, 12 km we.st species is associated with many other miniature species — of Grahamstown, (-BC), 550 m, 14-07-2001, Dold4431 (GRA). of specialized growth form, viz., Eriospennum dregei, Schizobasis cf. macowanii and Bulhine mesembryanthe- moides—in reality an undescribed species (H. Baijnath ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS pers. comm.) referred to as Bulbine dime’ by Vander- plank (1998). Dyer’s (1930) observation is supported by Rhodes University Joint Research Council and the the recent discovery of Brachystelma luteum (Peckover Cactus and Succulent Society of America are thanked for 1992) and a dwarf variant of Orthopterum waltoniae financial support. Nancy Lawrence is thanked for the (Hammer 2001) from the same locality. It is suggested Latin diagnosis. The curators of BOL, G, NBG and PRE that this high succulent species diversity is found on the are thanked for loans of type material. ecotone between Succulent Thicket in the east and Nama- Karoo in the west and deserves further investigation. Dyer (1930) however, did not collect or record Ornitho- REFERENCES galum perdurans despite its close proximity to O. uni- ACOCKS, J.P.H. 1988. Veld Types of South Africa, edn 3. Memoirs of likely to its cryptic habit evident folium, most due and the Botanical Sun-ey of South Africa No. 57. rarity. The (2000) conservation status category lUCN DYER. R.A. 1930. New species of Ornithogalum and Albuca from is applied to this species. Vulnerable (VU D2) Albany Division. Records of the Albany Museum 4: 1 1 1-1 15. 1- HAMMER, S. 2001. Rustles of Spring. Mesemb Study Group Bulletin Other specimens examined 16.2:31,32. HOFFMAN, T. 1996. Eastern Mixed Nama Karoo. In A.B.