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Othonna cerarioides

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Othonna cerarioides
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Othonna
Species:
O. cerarioides
Binomial name
Othonna cerarioides

Othonna cerarioides is a species of the genus Othonna in the family Asteraceae found in Namaqualand, Northern Cape, South Africa.

Description

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This species is described as an erect fleshy shrub 1–2 m tall. It has rod‐like stems and branches with waxy bark and large numbers of 20–100mm spur-like shoots. Its leaves are obovate-oblanceolate in shape and 5–40 × 3–15 mm. Leaves are clustered at the tips of the spur-shoots, but when flowering, the plant is leafless. It bears yellow flowers from April to August. The species is unique in the genus for its large size and unusual growth habit.[1]

Taxonomy

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It was described by Magoswana et al. in 2020 as a new species[1] that had previously been called Othonna sp. A.[2] The species epithet refers to the foliage and habit resembling plants in the genus Ceraria.[1]

Distribution

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The species is commonly found on rocky granite slopes on and around boulders at elevations above 600m around Springbok and O’kiep in northern Namaqualand, Northern Cape. It may also be found in the Richtersveld.[1]

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Magoswana, Simon Luvo; Boatwright, James Stephen; Magee, Anthony R.; Manning, John C. (2020). "Othonna cerarioides (Asteraceae: Othonnineae), a new species from Namaqualand, South Africa". Nordic Journal of Botany. 38 (3). doi:10.1111/njb.02588. ISSN 1756-1051. S2CID 216517359.
  2. ^ Manning, John C. (2013). "Othonna". In Snijman, D. (ed.). Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region 2: the extra Cape Flora. Pretoria: South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI Publishing). ISBN 978-1919976778.
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