Names and synonyms

Oedera viscosa (L'Herit) Anderberg & Bremer
=Relhania viscosa L'Heritier
=Eclopes viscida Gaertn. (non Less. 1832 p. 379 = Relhania genistifolia (L.) L'Herit.), nom. superfl.
=Eclopes glutinosa DC.
=Athanasia glutinosa E. Mey. ex DC.
=Relhania genistaefolia (L.) L'Herit. var. �. glutinosa (DC.) Harvey
=Relhania affinis Sond. ex Harvey

Type

Zeyher 842, Bergrivier (SAM)

Derivation of names

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

Diagnostic characters

Leaves flat, gland-dotted
Capitula in terminal clusters, on pedicels shorter than involucre
Involucral bracts rounded, with short membranous tip; innermost bracts narrow and membranous
Ray floret limb less than 1/3 the length of the involucre

Description

A moderately branched shrub, up to c. 0.5 m tall. Stems ascending-erect, glabrous or sparsely tomentose, leafy, becoming glabrous and nude and marked with leaf-scars. Leaves alternate, spreading, somewhat canaliculate, thick, linear or narrowly obovate-oblong, 7-12(-22) x 1-3 mm, glabrous, glandular-punctate, very glutinous, obtuse. Capitula 3-12 together in terminal cymes. Peduncles 2-6 mm during flowering. Involucre cup-shaped, 2-5 mm wide. Involucral bracts 25-35, outer ovate, innermost narrowly oblong-narrowly obovate with a spreading apical limb. Receptacle flat-convex, paleate. Paleae canaliculate, linear or narrowly spatulate, 4-6 mm long, apically 0.3-0.8 mm wide, dorsally gland-dotted, acute. Ray florets 8-14, tube 2-3 mm long, glandular, lamina elliptic, 2-3.5 x 1-1.5 mm, 4-veined. Disc florets 20-35, perfect. Cypsela almost terete or somewhat triquetrous, oblong, 1.5-1.9(-2.3) x 0.3-0.5(-0.6) mm, glabrous or densely pilose in ray florets. Pappus crownlike, of � connate scales, up to 0.8 mm long.

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Flowering time

Mainly from September to November.

Distribution

Frequently found on sandy and clayey soil on the lower slopes of and on the flats around and south of Piketberg and also into the Tulbagh Valley and at the foot of Gifberg near Vanrhynsdorp.
Known from 21 specimens.

Habitat

Rocky, stony and sandy soils in flat areas or foothills of mountains.

Notes

This species has been much overlooked. It is often regarded it as an aberrant form of O. genistifolia, but distinguished by its slightly bigger capitula and characteristic, much thicker and very glutinous foliage, which sticks very firmly together when pressed.

References

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

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