Thesium durum Hillard &amp; B. L. Burtt
Creators: name: Mashego, Kagiso S.
name: Roux, M. Marianne le
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Santalales
Thesiaceae
Thesium
Thesium durum

description: 2. <i>Thesium durum</i> Hillard &amp; B.L.Burtt in Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 41(2): 311 (1983). Type: SOUTH AFRICA, <b>Eastern Cape</b>: Fetcani Pass, 15 Oct. 1980, <i>Hilliard &amp; Burtt 13136</i> (E – digital image!, holo.; K – digital image!, NBG!, NU!, PRE!, S – digital image!, iso.). <b>Description</b>: Erect shrub branching above, root structure unknown, 50 mm – 360 mm high; stems relatively thick, 3 mm – 6 mm diam. <i>Leaves</i> scale-like, closely adpressed to stem, imbricate on young twigs, lanceolate, acuminate, 1.5 mm – 2.3 mm × 0.2 mm – 0.6 mm, ciliate margins. <i>Inflorescences</i> axillary, monotelic, of 1- to 4-flowered spikelike cymes (with single flowers sometimes replaced by 3-flowered monochasia), peduncles 6 mm – 85 mm long; involucral bracts present; bracts ovate, acuminate, 1.4 mm – 1.5 mm × 1.2 mm – 1.6 mm, adpressed to flower; bracteoles 2, lanceolate, slightly narrower than bract, acute, 1.4 mm – 1.5 mm × 0.9 mm – 1.2 mm. <i>Flowers</i> white, tubular, subsessile, perianth tube 2.0 mm – 2.5 mm long, lobes ± 1 mm long, densely bearded with white hairs. <i>Stamens</i> inserted at base of perianth tube; filaments 0.1 mm – 0.2 mm, obscured by anthers; anthers 0.3 mm – 0.6 mm long. <i>Style and stigma</i> 0.3 mm – 0.5 mm long, stigma almost reaching to top of anthers. <i>Placental column</i> twisted. <i>Fruit</i> ellipsoid, brown, with 10 longitudinal ribbed veins, reticulate between main veins, 2.0 mm – 3.3 mm × 2.4 mm – 3.0 mm, stipe 0.3 mm – 0.5 mm. <i>Flowering time</i>: August to October. <b>Distribution and ecology:</b> <i>Thesium durum</i> occurs in eastern South Africa and Lesotho, from Bethlehem in Free State province along the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg to Cradock in Eastern Cape province and Hanover in Northern Cape province (Figure 2). It grows on mountainous slopes and rocky outcrops in grasslands, in loam. <b>Diagnostic characters and relationships</b>: <i>Thesium durum</i> differs from <i>T. confine</i> in its erect habit with thicker, woody branches and stems 3 mm – 6 mm diam., and axillary inflorescences with involucral bracts. <b>Conservation status</b>: <i>Thesium durum</i> is a Least Concern species because it is widespread and abundant (Foden &amp; Potter 2005a). <b>Additional specimens seen</b>: SOUTH AFRICA. FREE STATE. – <b>2828 (Bethlehem)</b>: Bethlehem, Golden Gate National Park, Generaalskop, (– BC), 21 Jan. 1965, <i>B.R. Roberts 3432</i> (PRE). KWAZULU-NATAL. – <b>2830 (Dundee)</b>: Drakensberg, Cathkin Peak, (– AB), 1 Jul. 1950, <i>E. E. Esterhuysen 17354</i> (PRE). <b>2929 (Underburg)</b>: Mpendhle, path from Loteni Nature Reserve to Redi on ridge, (– AD), 26 Dec. 1982, <i>O. M. Hilliard 16104</i> (PRE, K); locality unknown, (– AD), 1 Oct. 1967, <i>F. B. Wright 220</i> (NU); Mpendhle, Mulangane Ridge, above Carter’s Nek, (– BC), 13 Mar. 1983, <i>O. M. Hilliard 18372</i> (PRE); Underberg, upper tributaries south of Mkimazi River, (– CB), 30 Nov. 1982, <i>O. M. Hilliard &amp; B. L. Burtt 15715</i> (K). EARTERN CAPE. – <b>3027 (Lady Grey)</b>: Verge of road up Joubert’s Pass, ± 8 km from Lady Grey, (– CB), 25 Feb. 2007, <i>C. L. Bredenkamp 26</i> (PRE); about 15 km east of Rhodes: Mavis Bank Farm, on Kloppershoek turn-off, (– DB), 9 Dec. 1999, <i>M. Koekemoer 1559</i> (PRE); north-east of Rhodes, Kloppershoekspruit Valley, Mavis Bank Farm, mountain on western side of valley from house, (– DB), 9 Dec. 1999, <i>L. Smook 10311</i> (PRE); Barkly East, 6 mi [9.7 km] north-westof Moshesh Ford, (– DC), 14 Nov. 1959, <i>J. P. H. Acocks 20165</i> (PRE); locality unknown, (– DC), 2 Nov. 1983, <i>O. M. Hilliard 16360</i> (NU); west of Rhodes, Maartinshoekspruit Valley, Maartindale Farm, (– DD), 12 Dec. 1999, <i>L. Smook 10399</i> (PRE). <b>3028 (Matatiele)</b>: About 15 km east of Rhodes: Mavis Bank Farm; on Kloppershoek turn-off, (– CA), 8 Dec. 1999, <i>M. Koekemoer 1524</i> (PRE); Glen Lynden Farm, top of Naude’s Nek Pass, (– CA), 20 Oct. 1994, <i>S. P. Bester 3013</i> (PRE); northeast of Rhodes, Kloppershoekspruit Valley, Mavis Bank Farm, at house, (– CA), 7 Dec. 1999, <i>L. Smook 10232</i> (PRE). <b>3225 (Somerset East)</b>: Cradock, 1.5 mi [2.4 km], south-east of Lexton Springs, (– CB), 3 Jan. 1959, <i>J. P. H. Acocks 20123</i> (PRE). NORTHERN CAPE. – <b>3124 (Hanover)</b>: Colesberg, 9 mi [14.5 km] east by south of Naauwpoort, (– BB), 30 Oct. 1953, <i>J. P. H. Acocks 17521</i> (PRE). LESOTHO. – <b>2927 (Maseru)</b>: Mafeteng, Ribaning stream, hillside above stream, (– AD), 22 Oct. 1946, <i>E. E. Esterhuysen 13207</i> (PRE); mountain road, <i>Leucosidea</i> forest, (– BD), 1 Oct. 1963, <i>M. O. Schmitz 2713</i> (PRE); moutain road, 5 km before Bushman Pass, (– BD), 2 Nov. 1977, <i>M. O. Schmitz 8030</i> (PRE). <b>2928 (Marakabei)</b>: Near Aurey, 45 km east of Blue Mountain Pass on road to Mantsonyane, (– CA), 17 Nov. 1983, <i>A. P. M. de Kruif 1172</i> (PRE); Orange valley, between Sehlabathebe and Thaba Tseka, (– DB), 29 Oct. 1979, <i>M. O. Schmitz 8859</i> (PRE). <b>2929 (Underburg)</b>: Locality unknown, (– CC), 20 Nov. 1983, <i>O. M. Hilliard &amp; B. L. Burtt 16817</i> (NU); Sehlabathebe National Park, Matsa a Mafikeng, (– CC), 5 Nov. 1976, <i>A. C. Beverly &amp; F. K. Hoener 375</i> (PRE). <b>3028 (Ramatsaliso)</b>: Ramatseliso gate (4 km), (– BB), 1 Nov. 1979, <i>M. O. Schmitz 8830</i> (PRE); locality unknown, (– CC), 13 Nov. 1983, <i>O. M. Hilliard 16621</i> (NU).
description: Published as part of <i>Mashego, Kagiso S. &amp; Roux, M. Marianne le, 2018, A taxonomic evaluation of the Thesium confine species complex (Santalaceae), pp. 1-6 in Bothalia - African Biodiversity &amp; Conservation 48 (1)</i> on pages 4-5, DOI: 10.4102/abc.v48i1.2346, http://zenodo.org/record/5562824
description: {"references": ["Foden, W. &amp; Potter, L., 2005 a, ' Thesium durum Hilliard &amp; B. L. Burtt', National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2017.1, viewed 07 December 2017, from http: // redlist. sanbi. org / species. php? species = 699 - 52"]}