Hilliardiella oligocephala H. Robinson 1999

Hilliardiella oligocephala (DC.) H. Robinson (1999: 230).

= Webbia oligocephala Candolle (1836: 73). = Vernonia oligocephala (DC.) Sch.Bip. in Walpers (1843: 947). = Vernonia kraussii var. oligocephala (DC.) Harvey (1865: 51).

Type: — SOUTH AFRICA. KwaZulu-Natal: ‘ Zwischen Omsamculo und Omcomas, in den Dünen und auf Grashöhen am Gestade, 200 ft, 19 März 1832’ [between Umzimkulu/Mzimkulu and Umkomaas, on grassy heights and the beach, 61 m], (QDS: 3030BB/BC/CB/ DA Port Shepstone), 19 March 1832, Drege 5076 (lectotype: G-DC, barcode G00464306, designated here; isolectotypes: P, barcodes P022663, P022664, all seen as images). (Lectotypes chosen as recommended by McNeill (2014).

Slender perennial herbs with few soft, annual, herbaceous stems from small underground rootstock. Rootstock also with narrow fusiform tubers. Annual stems unbranched or rarely with one or two short side branches, faintly to distinctly ribbed, sparsely hairy to glabrescent basally, upwards densely silvery/whitish hairy, hairs short-stalked, medifixed T-shaped with arms parallel to surface or very rarely sometimes with long-stalked, asymmetrically, Y-shaped hairs with arms shorter than stalk and stalk with reddish transverse cell walls. Leaves alternate, sessile or very shortly petiolate, densely set to more scattered, discolorous, margin entire, often undulate and distantly, sparsely serrulate, adaxial surface sparsely hairy or glabrescent, hairs scattered over surface or confined to veins, often glandular punctate towards the apex, abaxial surface densely hairy, hairs silvery/whitish, hairs short-stalked, medifixed, T-shaped with arms parallel to surface, similar to those on stems. Capitula homogamous, discoid, very rarely heterogamous, discoid, few, on very short peduncles, arranged in dense, terminal, umbellate synflorescences or sometimes densely umbellateracemosely arranged, rarely synflorescence more open and lax. Peduncle densely hairy, often hidden by uppermost leaves. Involucre broadly obconical to campanulate. Involucral bracts arranged in (4)5 rows, imbricate, outer shorter than inner, densely white or silvery hairy and glandular-punctate. Receptacle epaleate. Disc florets bisexual, fertile, sometimes few outer florets female, actinomorphic; corolla pinkish or purple, infundibuliform. Anthers with (narrowly) ovate apical appendages, bases caudate. Style exserted, bifurcate; style branches pinkish purple, filiform, recurved, with acute hairs on outside of branches and onto the shaft below furcation, total inner surface stigmatic. Ovary/cypsela brown, ± obconical, ribbed, densely twin hairy and glandular punctate, with distinct carpopodium. Pappus dimorphic, an outer row of laciniate scales and inner row of barbellate bristles.

Key to the varieties

Leaves ovate, broadly ovate, cordate or narrowly ovate, elliptic or broadly elliptic, lowest pair often orbicular, up to 28 × 20(–25) mm (including short petiole), prominently pinnately veined ........................................................................................ var. oligocephala

Leaves narrowly elliptic, linear-elliptic, sometimes elliptic, rarely narrowly obovate or obovate, up to 45(–50) × 10(–12) mm (including short petiole), prominently 3(rarely 5)-veined from base, these raised on abaxial surface .............................................. var. besteri