Two new species of Nemesia (Scrophulariaceae) from arid areas of the Northern Cape, South Africa

Abstract

Two new annual species of Nemesia Vent, are described from southern Africa. Nemesia suaveolens is characterized by magenta and yellow flowers. It differs from the closely related N. euryceras by having a lower lip that is yellow rather than white with pale violet margins, an upper lip with a conspicuous yellow rectangular patch just above the corolla opening, a spur that is ± equal to the length of the lower lip, not half the length, and a hypochile that is yellow rather than dark violet.This new species is known only from the arid Tanqua Karoo east of the Cedarberg Mountains. N. aurantia is characterized by orange saccate flowers with a brown and orange bearded palate. It is closest to N. versicolor, but differs from that species by its orange corolla, the absence of a spur, and its bearded palate with brown and orange trichomes. It is known from a single locality adjacent to the Swart Doting River in Namaqualand between Nuwerus and Garies.