TEMPLATE FOR SPECIES (POW) 2017 version (do not delete this header from your article)

Name: corymbosum ( L.f. ) H.Rob. Family: Common names: Mountain Bitter-tea, Mountain , Uhlunguhlungu

Gymnanthemum corymbosum is an attractive fast growing shrub with interesting purple and white daisy flowers in late summer and autumn, followed by interesting seeding heads through winter. The has been used for many years to treat various ailments.

Description Gymnanthemum corymbosum is a resprouting evergreen shrub with a height and spread of 2m. The stems are erect and densely leafy. Leaves are alternately arranged, up to 6 cm long and 4 cm wide, obovate to cuneate- oblong in shape, olive green and thinly hairy above with a silver, more densely hairy underside, and coarsely toothed to deeply serrated margins. flower through summer and autumn. The flower heads are discoid, with about 5 purple (fading to white) florets with distinctive stigmas that are curled near the apex. The heads are surrounded by 4 or 5 rows of involucral bracts and clustered into dense terminal corymbs. The seeds are topped by fluffy bristles that facilitate dispersal by wind.

Conservation status Gymnanthemum corymbosum is listed as Least Concern.

Distribution and habitat Gymnanthemum corymbosum is a southern African near-endemic. It has been recorded from Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape north through Kwa-Zulu Natal and Swaziland to the Soutpansberg in Limpopo and the Lebombo mountains in southern Mozambique. It favors open woodland, scrub and forest margins or sometimes grassland from near sea level to 2000m.

Derivation of name and historical aspects Gymnanthemum corymbosum was until recently included in the problematic Vernonia (then as V. tigna). The African members have however been shown to be unrelated to true Vernonia, now restricted to North America, and have therefore been placed into several smaller genera. The species epithet refers to the corymbose arrangement of the flower heads.

Ecology The shrubs resprouts from a woody rootstock after fire. The flowers of Gymnanthemum corymbosum are frequented by bees, butterflies and beetles. The fruit are wind dispersed.

Uses and cultural aspects Gymnanthemum corymbosum is recorded to be used medicinally to treat a number of ailments. Its leaves have been used in infusions to treat infertility, stomach aches, fever, arthritis and diarrhea. It has also been used as an aphrodisiac.

Growing Gymnanthemum corymbosum

Gymnanthemum corymbosum is a medium to large shrub that should be planted around the back of your garden border. Plant Gymnanthemum corymbosum in a sunny, well drained area, allowing sufficient space around it. If left to its own devices the plant will grow and spread quite quickly. However if you would prefer a more compact growth it should be prune back by about one third after flowering. The plant is relatively low maintenance and waterwise, requiring supplemental watering in summer when grown in winter rainfall regions. Apply compost regularly. Gymnanthemum corymbosum is easy to propagate from cuttings taken in autumn but this can be done year round. Treat cuttings with rooting hormone powder. They will begin to root in less than a month and be ready for your garden in around 3 months. Plants can also be propagated by seed, sown in spring or summer.

References and further reading

Abdillahi, H.S., Van Staden, J. 2013. Application of medicinal plants in maternal healthcare and infertility: a South African perspective. Planta medica, 79: 591-599. Hilliard, O.M. 1977. Compositae in Natal. University of Natal Press, Pietermaritzburg. Robinson, H. 1999. Revisions in paleotropical (Asteraceae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 112: 220–247. Swelankomo, N., Manning, J.C., Magee, A.R. 2016. The genus Gymnanthemum Cass. (Asteraceae:Vernonieae) in Southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 102: 81-101 Steenkamp, V. 2003. Traditional herbal remedies used by South African women for gynaecological complaints. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 86:97-108 Toyang, N.J., Verpooorte, R. 2013. A review of the medicinal potentials of plants of the genus Vernonia. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 146:681-723

Stephany van Munster and Anthony R. Magee Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden/ Compton Herbarium June 2017 [email protected]

Image Captions: List your image file names and suggest appropriate captions for each one.

(1): Insects are attracted to the flowering heads of Gymnanthemum corymbosum (2): Involucral bracts visible on the developing heads (3): Florets opening purple and fading to white (4): Shrubby habit with dark green and silvery leaves (5): Fluffy bristles on top of seeds adds interest to the old flower heads

Plant Information Form for Gardeners This is to assist website users to do advanced searches on the new website, primarily to select plants for their gardens – must be completed for all plants. If you are not sure about what to select, please discuss with a horticulturist or check the Garden’s database.

Please mark with an X the relevant values for your plants in the tables below, mark as many as are applicable in each table i.e. a plant can be both a tree and a shrub.

Plant Type Aquatic Ephiphyte Moss Scrambler Bi/Annual Fern Orchid Shrub X Bulbous plant Grass Herbaceous Succulent Carnivorous Ground cover Restio Tree Climber

If a Tree – give SA tree number: (see this site for list: http://www.treetags.co.za/indigenous-south-african-trees/)

SA Distribution (Natural distribution – not where it grows in gardens) E. Cape X Gauteng Limpopo X North West W. Cape Free State KZN X Mpumalanga X N. Cape

Soil type -which it prefers – thrives in. (Select Brack or Metal-rich if plant tolerates these soils) Sandy X Clay Loam X Brack/saline Metal-rich

Soil PH Acid Neutral Alkaline

Hort Zone: Mark the zones where people can probably grow this plant with reasonable success (NOT just natural distribution) Zone 1. Coastal summer rainfall, frost X free Zone 2 Coastal winter rainfall, frost X free Zone 3 Winter rainfall Karoo, light X frost Zone 4 Summer rainfall Karoo and Highveld, Frost in winter Zone 5 Bushveld summer rainfall, X Light frost

Read more about these zones below, if you are not sure which to select. Where have you seen or heard about it growing? Ask expert hort. if in doubt.

Flowering Season Spring Early sum X Late sum X Autumn X Winter All year/sporadic

Flower Colour ( If flowers bicoloured, mark main colours; if different colour forms, mark all applicable) Black Brown Purple X White X Cream Orange Blue Green Red Pink Yellow mauve/lilac X

Exposure Full sun X Shade Morning sun (semi-shade) Afternoon sun ( semi-shade)

Gardening skill (How easy is this plant to grow) Easy Average X Challenging

Special features ( useful plant = timber, dyes, forage, other cultural and economic uses - excluding horticulture)

Attracts birds Feature / Indoor Edible plant Useful X Wet sites architectural plant plant Plant* Attracts X Fragrant Poisonous Medicinal X Feeds X Pioneer butterflies (flowers or plant honeybees plant leaves) Drought resistant X Good Hedge / X potplant screen

Notes: