Revision of the Tarchonanthus camphoratus complex ( Asteraceae-Tarchonantheae ) in southern Africa

The Tarchonanthus camphoratus L. complex in southern Africa is revised. Five species are recognized on the grounds of differences in synflorescences, flowering times, leaf shape and margin, and distribution. Two names. T. minor Less, and T. ohovatus DC., are resurrected and two new species. T. littoralis P.P.J.Herman and T. parvicapitulatus PP.J.Herman. are described. A key, lull descriptions o f each taxon and distribution data are presented.

A number o f different names have been published for various Tarchonanthus taxa, but they were all put into synonymy under T. camphoratus by Paiva (1972) and subsequently by Hilliard (1977), Pope (1992) and Beentje (1999).Several workers maintained that there were different taxa under T. camphoratus (Acocks 1988: A. Citibb pers.comm ), with differences in palatability (Burchell 1824: A. Gubb pers.comm ).While I was preparing a manuscript for Flowering Plants o f Africa (Herman & Condy 2(X)1).it became clear that there were in fact a number of different taxa grouped under T. cam phoratus.Differences in synflorescences, flowering times, leaf shape and margin and distribution, led to the recognition o f five species.Two names are herew ith res urrected and two new species described.
The septate hairs present in the capitula.w hich can be considered a generic characteristic for the genus, are described by Herman (2001).The descriptions of the leaf shapes are based on that proposed by Radford et al. (1974) and Radford (1986).

D istribution and habitat: Tarchonanthus m inor
occurs in the Free State, Lesotho, Northern, Western and Eastern Cape on hillslopes, mountainsides, rocky ridges and hills (Figure 4).
Notes: 1) Lessing described T. minor in 1832 but cited no specimen (see also Pope 1992); neither did De Candolle ( 1836), but only referred to Lessing's descrip tion.Beentje (1999) stated that the plants Lessing saw, were destroyed at B. Harvey (1865) cited a few speci mens. 1 chose Smith 942 as neotype as Smith made a note on his specimen: 4 Agrees in shape and size of leaves with Cooper 708 cited by Harvey in Flora capensis 3: 118 under T. minor Less., but Cooper specimen is barren'.
2) The name 'm inor' has been misapplied to almost all species of Tarchonanthus recognized here.Tarcho nanthus m inor is distinguished from the other species by the small, narrowly elliptic, entire leaves, dense, spicate synflorescences and flowering time in spring and sum mer.The leaves in some of the Lesotho specimens reach the upper limit of the range in leaf size.
Tarchonanthus littoralis is distinguished by the usual ly large, oblanceolate to elliptic or narrowly elliptic, dark green leaves with mostly denticulate upper margins and long petiole.The cypsela-containing capitula are rather large.This is probably the species described and illus trated by Von Breitenbach (1974) under T. camphoratus.

T arch o n an th u s c a
Distribution and habitat: Tarchonanthus camphoratus is widely distributed in the northern part of southern Africa from Namibia, Botswana, the Northern Province, North-West, Gauteng, Free State and Northern Cape (Figure 5).It also occurs in tropical and North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.It occurs in a variety of habitats and soil types, e.g.savanna, bushveld, woodland, grass- land, on flats, rocky hills, mountain slopes and hillsides, riverbanks on sandy, loamy, gravelly, calcrete, quartzite and dolomitic soils.
Vernacular names: cam phor bush, kanferbos (Afrikaans) as listed by De Winter et al. (1978) is pro posed for T. camphoratus sens.str.
Notes: 1) It is very unfortunate that Beentje (1999) chose Drege 5041 as lectotype for T. litakunensis.'Litakun* (Takoon 2723BB) is a small settlement near Kuruman (Burchell 1824: Leistner & Morris 1976) in the North-West.However.T. littoralis always grows near the sea and the specimen chosen by Beentje (Drege 5041) was collected near the sea.This specimen (Drege 5041) also conforms to the description of T. littoralis presented here.It is therefore proposed that Drege 5041 be reject ed as lectotype of T. litakunensis.
2) This is the most common taxon of the genus in the northen parts of southern Africa.It can be distinguished by the narrowly elliptic to slightly oblanceolate.entire leaves with a grey-green or khaki-green colour and the cypselas enveloped by yellowish cottony hairs.Not browsed by stock (Burchell 1824) except as a last resort in times of drought [A. Gubb pers. comm.,Speedx 11/22 (PRE)].
Distribution and habitat: Tarchonanthus obovatus is restricted to Northern Cape where it occurs on hillsides, rocky outcrops or flats often on an ironstone or limestone base in sandy soils (Figure 6).
Note: it is interesting that, since the description, the name T. obovatus has never been used.This species is recognized by the obovate or elliptic, entire leaves and the cypselas that are enveloped by pure white, cottony hairs in contrast to T. camphoratus, occurring in the same area, which have yellowish hairs enveloping the cypse las.Readily browsed by both game and domestic stock all year round (A.Gubb pers.comm.).
Note: this species is recognized by the oblanceolate, obtuse-mucronate leaves mostly with denticulate mar gins towards the apex.The synflorescences tend to be more open and the capitula are smaller than in the other species.This is probably the species referred to by Moll (1992) under T. camphoratus.

FIGURE 5 .
FIGURE 5.-Distribution in southern Africa o f T. littoralis.• .based on material at PRE; and T. camphoratus, ■ , based on material at KMG and PRE.

FIGURE 6 .
FIGURE 6 .-Distribution in southern Africa o f T. obovatus.■ .based on material at KMG and PRE: and T. p a n icapitulatus.• , based on material at PRE.

minor in southern Africa based on material at PRE.
long, with 2 short branches, ± 1 mm long.Ovary elliptic to obovate, 2.5-4.0 mm long, densely septate-hairy and glandular.Cypsela obovate to elliptic, ribbed, 3-5 mm long, densely, white, septate-hairy and glandular.Pappus absent.Flowering tim e: December to July with a peak from February to March (July) (late summer).