Lebeckia gracilis
Creators: name: le Roux, M. M.
name: Van Wyk, B. - E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2007
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Fabales
Fabaceae
Lebeckia
Lebeckia gracilis

description: <i>4.3. L. gracilis</i> <i>L. gracilis</i> Eckl. and Zeyh., Enum.: 192 (1836); Benth. in Hook., Lond. J. Bot. 3: 358 (1844). Type: South Africa, “Zwartkopsrivier” [3322 CD], <i>Ecklon and Zeyher 1336</i> (SAM!, specimen in middle of the sheet, lectotype, designated here; P!, S!, isolectotypes). <i>L. sepiaria auct. non</i> (L.) Thunb.: Eckl. and Zeyh., Enum.: 191 (1836); Harv. in Harv. and Sond., Fl. Cap. 2: 86 (1862); Goldblatt and Manning, Cape Plants, Strelitzia 9: 493 (2000). [Harvey cited a Thunberg specimen (<i>Thunberg s.n. sub Herb. Thunberg 16422</i>) which is indeed this species. However, Thunberg based his description on a specimen from Cape Town “Leeuwenberg”, but he explicitly cited <i>Spartium sepiarium</i> of Linnaeus, <i>q.v</i>.] <i>L. ambigua</i> E. Mey., Com.: 34 (1836), <i>pro parte minore</i>. Erect, glaucous suffrutex, 0.15 <i>−</i> 0.8 m in height. <i>Leaves</i> simple, acicular, articulated near the middle; leaf density 3–6 per 10 mm length of stem. <i>Inflorescences</i> terminal, 44–172 mm long; rachis furrowed; flowers numerous, relatively dense (5–7 per 10 mm length of rachis), relatively small in size (6–8 mm long); pedicel 1.5–3.0 mm long; bract lanceolate, acute, ± 2 mm long; bracteoles triangular, acuminate, ± 1 mm long. <i>Calyx</i> 2.5–4.5 mm long, tube 1.5–3.5 mm long, lobes 0.7–1.5 mm long; ± equally lobed; lobes deltoid, tips minutely pubescent inside. <i>Standard</i> widely oblong to suborbicular or obovate, 4.0–6.5 × 2.0– 3.5 mm; apex obtuse; claw 1.5–2.5 mm long. <i>Wings</i> oblong, longer than the keel, 4.0–6.5 × 1.0– 2.5 mm, with 11–14 rows of sculpturing; apex obtuse; claws 1.5–2.0 mm long. <i>Keel</i> rostrate, 5–6 × 1.5–2.5 mm, sometimes with pockets; claws 1.5–2.5 mm long. <i>Pistil</i> subsessile; ovary 5.5–7.5 × 0.6–0.8 mm long, linear; ovules many (9–11); style 1.5–3.5 mm long, curved upwards. <i>Pods</i> linear, straight or very slightly falcate, up to 37 × 2–3 mm; dehiscent; semi-terete; fruit wall thin, membranous. <i>Seeds</i> reniform-orbicular, ± 1.8 × 1.5 mm, rugose, pale brown, mottled dark brown to black; hilum dark brown (Fig. 9). <i>4.3.1. Diagnostic characters</i> <i>L. gracilis</i> is similar to <i>L. ambigua</i> but differs in its calyx that is ± equally lobed and with the lobes shorter than the tube (calyx subequally lobed and the lobes as long as the tube in <i>L. ambigua</i>) (Fig. 9). <i>L. gracilis</i> also differs from <i>L. ambigua</i> in its shorter and more congested racemes. The two species are allopatric. <i>4.3.2. Distribution and habitat</i> <i>L. gracilis</i> has a distinctively coastal distribution, from Bredasdorp in the Western Cape Province eastwards to Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape Province (Fig. 10). All known localities are below 300 m altitude. Those in the west experience winter rainfall, while those in the east (around Port Elizabeth) have a higher proportion of summer rain. Plants grow in deep sandy soil. <i>4.3.3. Specimens examined.</i> – <b>3322</b> (Oudtshoorn): Fairy Knowe (– DC), <i>Guillarmond 8257</i> (PRE); Rondevlei (– DC), <i>Sachse 670</i> (PRE); Wilderness (– DC), <i>Van Niekerk 223</i> (BOL); Ruigtevlei at Zwart River (– DD), <i>Fourcade 1534</i> (BOL, NBG, PRE). – <b>3324</b> (Steytlerville): Zwartkopsrivier (– DC), <i>Ecklon and Zeyher 1336</i> (P, S, SAM), <i>Zeyher 2293</i> (P, S); Gamtoos River (– DD), <i>Gillett 2361</i> (NBG). – <b>3325</b> (Port Elizabeth): Humewood (– DC), <i>Paterson 773</i> (BOL). – <b>3420</b> (Bredasdorp): De Hoop (– AD), <i>Morley 139</i> (PRE); Melkbosheuwel (– BC), <i>Burgers 2461</i> (NBG); Potberg area (– BC), <i>Derdejaarsekskursie 84/C10</i> (NBG); Potberg (– BC), <i>Esterhuysen 23259</i> (BOL); De Hoop (– BC), <i>Fellingham 701</i> (PRE); The Poort (– CA), <i>Henderson 1829</i> (NBG), <i>Morris 268</i> (NBG); Bredasdorp Poort (– CA), <i>Heginbotham 163</i> (NBG). – <b>3421</b> (Riversdale): Oude Tuin near Albertinia (– AB), <i>Muir 1852</i> (BOL, PRE); Stilbaai (– AD), <i>Jordaan 18607</i> (NBG); Stilbaaihoogte (– AD), <i>Bohnen 7617</i> (NBG), <i>Le Roux</i>, <i>Boatwright</i>, <i>Magee and Van Wyk 17</i> (JRAU). – <b>3422</b> (Mossel Bay): Brak River (– AA), <i>Young 5514</i> (BOL); Belvedere (– BB), <i>Duthie 510</i> (NBG); Goukamma (– BB), <i>Wurts 2234</i> (NBG). – <b>3423</b> (Knysna): Between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay (– AA), <i>Pappe s.n.</i> (S, SAM); Plettenbergbaai (– AB), <i>Anon s.n. sub STEU 13540</i> (NBG). – <b>3425</b> (Port Elizabeth): Schoenmakers Kop (– AB), <i>Story 3654</i> (PRE).
description: Published as part of <i>le Roux, M. M. &amp; Van Wyk, B. - E., 2007, A revision of Lebeckia sect. Lebeckia: The L. sepiaria group, pp. 118-130 in South African Journal of Botany 73 (1)</i> on pages 126-127, DOI: 10.1016/j.sajb.2006.09.005, http://zenodo.org/record/7958313