Names and synonyms

Relhania calycina (L.f.) L'Herit. ssp. apiculata (DC.) Bremer
=Eclopes apiculata DC.
=Oedera apiculata E. Mey. ex DC, pro syn.
=Relhania apiculata (DC.) Harvey
=Relhania calycina (L.f.) L'H�r. p.p.

Type

Drege, J.F., Cap de Bonne Esperance, South Africa (P)

Derivation of names

Relhania = after Irish-born Richard Relhan (1754-1823), botanist, plant collector, bryologist, lichenologist, one of the founders of the Linnean Society, rector in Lincolnshire and author of Flora Cantabile.
calycinus: kalux = case of bud, husk, calyx-like
apiculata = ending abruptly in a short, sharp point (usually the leaves)

Diagnostic characters

Leaves generally lanceolate and glabrous
Involucral bracts papery and brown

Description

Plant sparsely branched, usually long and slender, often 0.4- 1 m tall. Stems tomentose, leafy, becoming glabrous and nude and marked with leaf-scars. Leaves � straight, narrowly elliptic-oblong, 8-22 x 1-6 mm, quite distinctly 3-5-nerved, glabrous, acute, sometimes pungent. Capitula solitary, sessile, terminal. Involucre widely bell-shaped, 8-20 mm wide. Involucral bracts 30-75, outer ovate, inner gradually longer with a spreading, brownish apical limb. Receptacle flat-convex, paleate. Paleae canaliculate and often winged, 7-11.5 x 0.3-0.8 mm, acute-acuminate, persistent. Ray florets 15-40. tube somewhat triquetrous, 3-5 mm long, with subulate-triangular hairs, lamina narrowly elliptic, 8.5-14 x 1.6-2.9 mm, 4- or occasionally 5-6-veined. Disc florets 50-250, perfect. Pappus crownlike, of � connate scales, up to 2 mm long. Cypselas flat with inner edge often winged, elliptic-oblong, 2.2-3.5 x 0.6-1.3 mm wide, glabrous or pilose mainly on inner edge and with occasional scattered hairs.

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Flowering time

Mainly from October to January.

Distribution

R. calycina extends all the way from Cederberg to Albany. Ssp. apiculata is known from 11 specimens, from the Cederberg, Seweweekspoort, Harkerville near Knysna, Rooiberg, above Witbooisrivier in the Langeberg range, and from the Gamkaberg and Swartberg.

Habitat

Rocky mountain slopes, often at high altitude.

Notes

The three subspecies occupies different habitats in their different areas. Ssp. apiculata prefers stony and rocky mountain slopes often at high altitude.

Ssp. apiculata occurs from Cederberg along Witteberg to Swartberg. This subspecies has generally long and slender and often few-branched stems with quite glabrous leaves. The plants of this subspecies also seem to have slightly longer and more slender florets, although but the size and shape of the heads are similar to the other subspecies.

Key to the subspecies
1a. Leaves dorsally and marginally pilose-tomentose with persistent hairs ............................... 2
1b. Leaves quite glabrous (occasionally very laxly pilose with deciduous hairs) ...... ssp. apiculata
2a. Leaves � straight, narrowly elliptic-oblong-elliptic-obovate................................ ssp. calycina
2b. Leaves slightly curved backwards, lanceolate ................................................... ssp. lanceolata

References

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.
KESTING, D. & CLARKE, H. 2008. Botanical names, what they mean. Wild Flowers of the Cape Peninsula, 3rd revised edition. Friends of Silvermine.

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