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South African Journal of Botany 76 (2010) 139–141 www.elsevier.com/locate/sajb

Short communication Annesorhiza calcicola (), a new limestone endemic from the Western Cape Province of South Africa ⁎ A.R. Magee , J.C. Manning

South African National Biodiversity Institute, Compton Herbarium, Private Bag X7, Claremont 7735, South Africa Received 12 May 2009; accepted 17 June 2009

Abstract

The new species, Annesorhiza calcicola Magee and J.C. Manning, is described. It is known only from a few limestone outcrops around Jacobsbaai on the Saldanha Peninsula on the West Coast of South Africa. The species differs from all others in the in its small stature (inflorescence less than 0.3 m and leaves less than 150 mm long), the hysteranthous, pilose leaves which are completely absent at flowering (in the other species dead or dying at flowering and usually glabrous), the greyish-black, pilose inflorescence (yellowish-brown and glabrous in the other species) and the smaller homomericarpic fruit less than 5 mm long. © 2009 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Annesorhiza; Apiaceae–Apiodeae; New species; South Africa;

1. Introduction regular vittae in the fruit) by their ± hysteranthous leaves (withering or absent at flowering), fleshy roots that are replaced Annesorhiza Cham. and Schltdl. (Apiaceae) comprises 12 periodically in most of the species, and by the presence of species of deciduous, geophytic perennials endemic to South scattered druse crystals in the mesocarps of the mature fruit Africa (Tilney and Van Wyk, 2001). The genus, together with (Tilney and Van Wyk, 2001; Magee et al., submitted). Species of several other southern African taxa, occupies an early diverging Annesorhiza and particularly Chamarea are often overlooked by position within the subfamily Apioideae (Calviño et al., 2006; collectors and remain poorly known. The taxonomy of the genera Magee et al., 2008; Nicolas and Plunkett, 2009; Magee et al., is further complicated by the necessity of visiting several submitted for publication) and is now accommodated within times in order to obtain complete leaf, flower and fruit material. the recently erected tribe Annesorhizeae (Magee et al., Intensive documentation of the local limestone flora at submitted for publication) together with the South African Jacobsbaai north of Saldanha on the West Coast by local resident genera Chamarea Eckl. and Zeyh., Ezosciadium B.L.Burtt and Jakobus (Koos) Claassens has resulted in the discovery of several Itasina Raf., the North African endemic Astydamia DC., and new species endemic to the area (Manning and Goldblatt, 2008), the European genus Molopospermum W.D.J.Koch. As currently including a new endemic species of Annesorhiza that is described circumscribed, the genus is distinguished from Chamarea by its in this paper (Fig. 1). Although both the small stature and the generally more robust habit and larger (N5 mm long), oblong, smaller fruit size of this species are more typical of the range found sometimes heteromericarpic fruit (Burtt, 1991; Tilney and Van within the sister genus Chamarea, the distinctive oblong fruit Wyk, 2001). These two genera differ from other herbaceous, (ovate in Chamarea) places it within the current circumscription of typically apioid genera (i.e. those with a compound umbel and the genus Annesorhiza.

2. Species treatment

⁎ Corresponding author. Annesorhiza calcicola Magee & J.C. Manning, species nova, E-mail address: [email protected] (A.R. Magee). A. grandiflora (Thunb.) Hiroe foliis pilosis fructuque

0254-6299/$ - see front matter © 2009 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2009.06.013 140 A.R. Magee, J.C. Manning / South African Journal of Botany 76 (2010) 139–141

homomericarpico manifeste costato similis sed differt statura minore foliis absentibus tempore florescentiae, non foliis mortuis vel semimortuis, inflorescentia griseo-nigra pilosa, non flavo- brunnea glabra, fructu minori (b5 mm longa) et radice crescenti singulari, non aliquot. Type: South Africa. Western Cape Province, Vredenburg district (3217): Jacobsbaai, limestone outcrops (–DD); 20 April 2009; Magee, Boatwright and Claassens 143 (NBG!, holo.; PRE!, K!, iso.). Deciduous geophyte. Root single, slightly fleshy, severed distally, remains of previous root sometimes persisting. Leaves in basal rosette, absent at flowering, 40–90×20–100 mm, 2- or 3-pinnate; rachis and petioles pilose. Ultimate leaflets ovate, 15–25 mm×5–15 mm, concolorous, margins broadly lacerate, venation reticulate, pilose along margins and veins. Inflorescence 0.1–0.2 m long, with terminal umbel and 0 or 1 (3) smaller, lateral umbels, greyish-black, peduncle pilose. Umbels com- pound; primary umbel flat-topped, involucral bracts 4 to 6, ovate, acuminate, glabrous to slightly pilose; rays 4 to 11, pilose, 25–50 mm long at anthesis; involucel bracteoles 4 to 6, lanceolate, acute, glabrous to slightly pilose, raylets 10 to 20, pilose, 3–4 mm long at anthesis. Flowers hermaphroditic, pentamerous; sepals small, cuspidate; petals white, ovate to narrowly obovate, acuminate with tips inflexed, septum present on inner face, glabrous; stamens with anthers inflexed; ovary Fig. 1. Annesorhiza calcicola in flower. Scale indicated by matchbox (52 mm long). glabrous; stylopodium shortly conical, green, becoming

Fig. 2. Annesorhiza calcicola. (a) fruiting inflorescence; (b) root; (c) leaf in dorsal view; (d) mericarp in dorsal view; (e) transverse section through the mature fruit. Vouchers: (a–b) Magee et al. 143,NBG;(c–e) Claassens and Claassens s.n.,NBG.Scale:a–c=10 mm; d=1 mm; e=0.5 mm. Artist: A.R. Magee. A.R. Magee, J.C. Manning / South African Journal of Botany 76 (2010) 139–141 141 purplish in fruit; styles spreading slightly. Fruit isodiametric, 4. Diagnostic characters oblong, 3.0–4.0 mm×± 2.0 mm; mericarps homomorphic, glabrous; median, lateral and marginal ribs 5, equal, prominent; Annesorhiza calcicola is easily distinguished by its small commissural vittae 2; vallecular vittae 4; commissure narrow; stature (inflorescence less than 0.3 m and leaves less than carpophore bipartite; druse crystals present, scattered through- 150 mm long, Fig. 2a, c), the hysteranthous, pilose leaves out mesocarp (Fig. 2). (Fig. 2c) that are completely absent at flowering (dead or dying at flowering in other species, and usually glabrous), and by its 3. Distribution and ecology unique greyish-black, pilose inflorescence (yellowish-brown and glabrous in other species). It approaches A. grandiflora Annesorhiza calcicola appears to be restricted to exposed (Thunb.) Hiroe (which also occurs in the area), in its pilose limestone outcrops around Jacobsbaai in the Saldanha Penin- leaves and homomericarpic fruit (Fig. 2d, e) but differs from sula (Fig. 3), where it forms part of the endangered Saldanha that species in its whitish petals (yellow in A. grandiflora), Limestone Strandveld vegetation (Mucina and Rutherford, smaller fruit (b 5 mm long vs 6–7mminA. grandiflora), and 2006). Several Red Data species are already recorded for this in its solitary, vertical, active root, which appears to abscise vegetation unit (Rebelo et al., 2006), with A. calcicola distally (Fig. 2b). A. grandiflora, like other species in the seemingly yet another. genus, has a cluster of several roots and flowers in mid-summer, Annesorhiza calcicola is the only species in the genus to unlike A. calcicola, which flowers in autumn and early winter flower at the end of the dry autumn months (April to May). The (April–May). plants are completely leafless when in flower and fruit, with the leaves developing only later, in May or June, with the onset of Additional specimens examined the winter rains. South Africa. –3217 (Vredenburg): Jacobsbaai, limestone outcrops (–DD); Claassens and Claassens s.n. sub CR3483 (NBG).

Acknowledgements

We thank Mr and Mrs J. Claassens (Jacobsbaai residents and CREW volunteers), who first brought this species to our attention and hosted us during a subsequent field study; and Dr E.G.H. Oliver (University of Stellenbosch) for translating the diagnosis. Herbarium collections were made under a permit from CapeNature

References

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