Chamaecrista capensis var. flavescens E.Ney.

3b. CHAMAECRISTA CAPENSIS var. FLAVESCENS E.Mey., Comm. Pl. Afr. Austr. 1: 158 (1836).

Cassia capensis var. flavescens (E.Mey) Vogel, Syn. Gen. Cassiae 64 (1837); Gordon-Gray in F.S.A. 16(2): 99 (1977).

TYPE: SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape Province, Amabele, De Vries 51A (neotype: PRE!, designated here).

Note: The original Drege collection (South Africa, Transkei [Eastern Cape], between Gekau (Geua) and Bashee Rivers [Mbashe], Drege s.n. (B †?)) cited by Meyer could not be located and so we here designate a collection of De Vries as neotype as it closely matches the original description and is the most complete specimen.

Cassia capensis var. keiensis Steyaert, Bull. Jard. Bot. Brux. 20: 251 (1950).

TYPE: SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape, King William’ s Town, Kei Road, Dyer 1703 (holotype: K [K00417584]– image!; isotypes: PRE!; GRA – image!).

Perennial herbs, to 0.6 m high. Stems prostrate, decumbent or erect, single or few stemmed, arising from woody rootstalk, branching on the upper half, with long, straight or curved greyish or yellow hairs. Leaves with circular extrafloral nectaries, attached with very small stalk, sometimes lacking. Leaflets 11–24-jugate. Pedicels at flowering 18–40 mm long.

Diagnostic Characters — Chamaecrista capensis var. flavescens was established within C. capensis, which is distinguished from C. capensis var. capensis by erect stems that are branching in the upper half, with short and long patent hairs intermixed, greyish or yellow indumentum, and extrafloral nectaries that are raised on a small stalk or sometimes lacking.

Distribution and Ecology — Chamaecrista capensis var. flavescens is widespread in KwaZulu-Natal from Pietermaritzburg to Port Edward, extending to Lady Frere to Peddie in the Eastern Cape (Fig. 6). Grows in grassland in well drained sandy soil, at elevations below 1300 m. Flowering from October–March.

Additional Specimens Examined — South Africa. — KWAZULU-NATAL: 2830 (Dundee): Indaleni near Richmond (–BC), 3 Jan 1948, Barker 5182 (NBG) . 2930 (Pietermaritzburg): 8 km from Richmond along Hela Hela Road (–CC), 23 Jan 1974, Stirton 711 (NU); Camperdown (–DC), 12 Feb 1968, Gordon -Gray 6145 (NU); Pietermaritzburg (–DC), 15 Feb 1973, Strey 11105 (NU). 3028 (Maclear): Maclear Community Plantation (–AB), 1 Nov 2017, Nemando and Musandiwa 19 (NBG). 3030 (Port Shepstone): Umzinto, Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve (–BC), 8 Feb 1984, Balkwill & Cadman 1198 (NU); cliff above Otterburn halt (–DA), 22 Feb 1964, Hilliard 2751 (NU). 3130 (Port Edward): Umtamvuna Nature Reserve, Beacon Hill (–AA), 05 Feb 1984, Abbott 1709 (NH). — EASTERN CAPE: 3127 (Lady Frere): 25 km from Cala at turn off to Engcobo (–DB), 12 Jan 1997, Sebothoma 29 (PRE). 3128 (Umtata): Maclear commonage ca. 2 km NNE of Maclear (–AA), 12 Nov 1993, Bester 1634 (PRE); Umtata aerodrome (–DA), 15 Feb 1976, Cooper 180 (PRE); Umtata Waterfalls (–DB), 31 Dec 1920, Schonland 3804 (PRE); Unitra Campus (–DB), 7 Nov 2001, Nombekela 49 (NH). 3227 (Stutterheim): Thomas River (–AD), 8 Dec 1944, Macfarlane 3490 (NBG); ca. 19.3 km N of Stutterheim on road to Grahamstown (–AD), Grobbelaar 639 (PRE); 3.2 km from Keiskama Hoek on road to Debenek (–CA), 18 Mar 1948, Story 3369 (PRE); between Lovedale and Hogsback (–CA), 12 Dec 1942, Barker 2272 (NBG); Amabele (–DA), 14 Jan 1940, De Vries 51A (PRE); Berlin, King William’ s Town (–DC), 5 Jan 1944, Barker 2738 (NBG); King William’ s Town (–DC), Nov 1892, IRS 1514 (NBG). 3228 (Butterworth): ca. 16 km before East London from Butterworth (–AC), Oct 1973, Arnold 564 (NU); Kei mouth (–BC), Mar 1890, Flanagan 54 (PRE); Mooiplaats (–CA), 27 Nov 1945, Compton 17764 (NBG). 3327 (Peddie): East London (–BA), Dec 1926, Smith 3757 (PRE); Komga (–CA), 4 Mar 1956, Theron 1882 (PRE).