Gymnodiscus linearifolius DC., Prodr.
Creators: name: Magoswana, S. L.
name: Boatwright, J. S.
name: Magee, A. R.
name: Manning, J. C.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Asterales
Asteraceae
Gymnodiscus
Gymnodiscus linearifolius

description: 2. Gymnodiscus linearifolius DC., Prodr. 6: 469 (1838).
Type: South Africa [Northern Cape], Africa Capensi ad Klein Namaqualand [Boschemans-karroo and Groenrivier (Harvey, 1865)] [without date], Drège s.n. (G-DC, holo.; K-image!, SAM!, iso.)
Annual, rosettiform herb to 20 cm, glabrous at crown and in stem axils. Leaves basal, suberect-incurved, fusiform, 20–130 × 2–5 mm, mucronulate, succulent, green. Peduncles 2–6 mm diam., leaf-like cauline bracts linear, 3–15 × 2–3 mm., sessile, upper inflorescence bracts smaller, mucronulate 10–50 × 2–4 mm. Capitula in small cymose or sub-umbellate clusters aggregated into paniculate synflorescences; pedicels 5–45 mm long. Involucre campanulate to sub-globose, 4–10 mm diam.; involucral bracts 8 or 9, lanceolate to elliptic, 2.5–5.5 × 1.0– 2.5 mm. Ray fl orets, 8 or 9, perianth tube 1.0– 1.5 mm long, limb elliptic-ovate, 2.0–3.5 × 0.5–1.0 mm; ovary ellipsoid to narrowly oblong, glabrous; style included and branching just below mouth of tube. Disc fl orets 30, perianth ± 1.5 mm long, lobes ovate, 1–2 × 0.5 mm; anthers 1.0– 1.5 mm long; ovary narrowly ellipsoid, glabrous. Cypselas ellipsoid-obvoid, 1.0–1.5 × 0.5–0.8 mm, glabrous. Pappus 1–2 mm long. (Figs. 1B and 4).
Distribution and ecology: A relatively local endemic of the Northern Cape, distributed from Aggenys in Bushmanland to Springbok and Kamieskroon in central Namaqualand (Fig. 5); occurring on sandy flats and slopes below 1000 m. Flowering is from late May to October.
Diagnosis: Distinguished from G. capillaris by the fusiform leaves (Fig. 4B) and larger capitula, 4–10 mm diam., with 8 or 9 involucral bracts and ray florets and 30 disc florets. The perianth tube in the ray florets is longer than in G. capillaris, 1–1.5 mm long, with the style included and branching below the mouth of the tube (Fig. 4D). The ray ovaries and cypselas are glabrous (Fig. 4D and F).
Additional specimens seen
South Africa: Northern Cape: 2818 (Warmbad): Goodhouse (–CC), 26 Sep. 1930, Hennri 2227, 2235 (PRE). 2917 (Springbok): Rietkloof, near Garies and Springbok (–BC), 02 Sep. 1897, Schechter 11183 (BOL, PRE); 5 km NW of Springbok, Klipdam (–DB), 06 Jul. 2013, Helme 8014 (NBG); Nababeep, near golf course (–DB), 20 Aug. 1980, Le Roux 2682 (BOL); near Springbok (–DB), Sep. 1939, Gill 54335 (SAM) 2918 (Gamoep): Wortel (–BB), 21 Jun. 1898, Schlechter 115 (BOL, PRE); Aggenys, about 10 miles (16 km) W of farm house (–BB), 04 Sep. 1971, Wisura 2231 (NBG); About 100 km W of Pofadder towards Springbok (–BC), 13 Sep. 1973, Coetzee and Werger 1755 (PRE); near Ratelkraal (–CA), 07 Sep. 1950, Compton 22004 (NBG); eastern Namaqualand, farm Rietfontein, alongside Brakrivier (–CC), 13 Sep. 2007, Snijman 2168 (NBG). 2919 (Pofadder): 40 miles (64 km) W of Pofadder (–AD), 24 May 1961, Schliben 8997 (BOL, PRE); foot of Gamsberg, 40 miles (64 km) WSW of Pofadder (–AD), 25 May 1961, Leistner 2506 (BOL). 3017 (Hondeklipbaai): Namakwa National Park, Farm Avontuur, S of Hondeklipbaai road (–AD), 11 Aug. 2006, Koekemoer 3278 (PRE); Kamieskroon (–BB), Sep. 1954, de Vos 1722 (NBG); Kamieskroon (–BB), 24 Aug. 1941, Esterhuysen 5697 (BOL, PRE); ± 10 km from Kamieskroon on road to Skilpad Nature Reserve (–BB), 23 Sep. 2015, Manning & Magoswana 3546 (NBG); Skilpad Wildflower Reserve, at turning point (–BB), 22 Jul. 1996, Cruz 50 (NBG); 3 miles (5 km) above Wallekraal (–BC), Oct. 1924, Pillans 18107 (BOL); north of Darter's grave (–BD), 07 Sep. 1950, Maguire 293 (NBG); Brakdam (–BD), 03 Sep. 1951, Maguire 964 (NBG); Skilpad Nature Reserve, old fields S of homestead (–BB), 02 Jul. 1994, Glass 14 (NBG). 3018 (Kamiesberg): Around campsite between Bloudraai and Witwater (–AC), 14 Oct. 1981, Le Roux and Ramsey 779 (NBG); 10 km from Kamieskroon on road to Leliefontein (–AC), 24 Aug. 1995, Rodriguez-Oubina & Cruces 2053 (PRE).
description: Published as part of Magoswana, S. L., Boatwright, J. S., Magee, A. R. & Manning, J. C., 2016, A taxonomic revision of Gymnodiscus (Asteraceae: Senecioneae: Othonninae), a Greater Cape Floristic Region endemic *, pp. 71-77 in South African Journal of Botany 106 on pages 76-77, DOI: 10.1016/j.sajb.2016.05.017, http://zenodo.org/record/10496398