Longitudinal section of common head; 2, a ray floret of the common head; 3, a single head showing the involucral-bracts; 4, a ray floret;  5, a disc floret. F.P.S.A. 1940. PLATE 786

Names and synonyms

Oedera hirta Thunb.
=Eroeda hirta (Thunb.) Levyns

Derivation of names

Oedera = after George Christian Oeder (1728-1791), professor of Botany in Copenhagen, author of Flora Danica
hirta = hairy

Diagnostic characters

Leaves covered in gland-tipped hairs
Capitula in a large secondary head

Description

A stout, robust, woody, erect shrub, 0.4-0.5 m tall. Branchlets about 7 mm. diameter, densely leafy above, leaves overlapping more than half their length, sparser in lower parts. Leaves up to 37 x 8-12 (-17) mm, eliptic to ovate, subobtuse, densely glandular on both surfaces, glandular-ciliate on the margins, sticky, apex acute. Inflorescence terminal, solitary secondary heads, 40-50 mm diam.Capitula several grouped together in a secondary head surrounded by leaf-like bracts. Involucre a dense ring of leafy bracts very similar but slightly narrower than leaves. Involucral bracts of individual heads free, about 8 x 0.75 mm, linear, quite flimsy and papery. Ray florets female. Corolla-tube 4.5 mm. long, cylindric, glandular-hairy; limb about 12 x 3.5 mm, linear-oblong. Disc floret bisexual. Cypsela 3-4 mm. long, cylindric, glabrous. Pappus of of free unequal scales 1-5 mm long.

Flowering time

September to November.

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Distribution

In the Worcester, Tulbagh and Clanwilliam areas.
Known from a few specimens only.

Habitat

Mountainous areas, in rocky habitats between 1500-2000 m altitudes

Notes

A poorly known and rare species with quite distinct large secondary capitula.

References

GLEN, H.F. 2004. SAPPI, What's in a Name? The Meanings of the Botanical Names of Trees. Jacana.
SMITH, C. A. 1927. Four interesting species of Compositae. Bothalia 2: 360-365.
PHILLIPS.1940. The Flowering Plants of South Africa 20: t. 786
ANDERBERG, A.A. & BREMER, K. 1991. Parsimony analysis and cladistic reclassification of the Relhania generic group (Asteraceae - Gnaphalieae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 78: 1061-1072.
GOLDBLATT, P. & MANNING, J.C. 2000. Cape Plants. A conspectus of the Cape flora of South Africa. Strelitzia 9. SANBI.
BREMER, K. 1976. The genus Relhania (Compositae). Opera Botanica 40.
HARVEY, W.H. 1865. Compositae in: W.H. Harvey & O.W. Sonder. Flora Capensis 3 (ed. 1). Hodges & Smith, Dublin.
MANNING. J. 2007. Field Guide to Fynbos. Struik Publishers.
KESTING, D. & CLARKE, H. 2008. Botanical names, what they mean. Wild Flowers of the Cape Peninsula, 3rd revised edition. Friends of Silvermine.