Origin of name:

scitulus = pretty, neat, trim

Diagnostic characters:

Small leaves (almost cypress-like)
White bracts with dark pink tips
Large solitary heads

Description:

Diffuse undershrub, branches long, slender, straggling, closely leafy throughout. Leaves 3�7 x 0,5 � 1 mm, scarcely diminishing upwards, imbricate, spreading, somewhat recurved, linear, base broad, half-clasping, webbed to stem, tip acute, upper surface green covered in very thin 'tissue-paper' indumentum, lower closely greyish-white silky-felted. Heads heterogamous, turbinate-campanulate, c. 8�10 mm long, double that across the radiating bracts, solitary at the tips of short (10�30 mm) densely leafy erect branchlets often closely set along the main stems. Involucral bracts in c. 7 series, imbricate, graded, outer lanceolate, acute, rose, inner about equaling flowers, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, acute or obtuse, white often tipped rose. Receptacle honeycombed. Flowers 26�45, 3�6 female, 21�40 homogamous, yellow, female tipped pink. Achenes 1 mm long, cylindric, with myxogenic duplex hairs. Pappus bristles many, equaling corolla, scabrid above, smooth below, bases cohering by patent cilia, some fusion in bundles as well.

Flowers in November and December.

Distribution:

Grows on rocky mountain tops, forming loose mats in rock crevices, or cascading down steep slopes, intertwined with grasses and other vegetation. On the Cape mountains from the Nieuweveld Mountains, N. of Beaufort West, to the Renosterberg (E. end of the Sneeuberg), Bamboesberg, Stormberg and Witteberg near Lady Grey.

Grassland Biome.

Notes:

Much confused with H. stoloniferum and may be found in herbaria under that name, but easily distinguished by its different foliage, smaller heads, and different pappus.

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Taxonomy:

Literature:

Helichrysum scitulum Hilliard & Burtt in Notes R. bot. Gdn Edinb. 40: 266 (1982).

 

Type:

Cape, Graaff-Reinet distr., S. extreme of Renosterberg above Lootsberg railway halt, farm Blaauwater, c. 1 800 m, 24 xi 1977, Hilliard & Burtt 10629 (NU holo.; E; K; MO; PRE; S, iso.).

 

Synonym(s):

H. stoloniferum sensu DC., Prodr. 6: 175 (1838) quoad spec., non (L.f.) Willd.

 

Vouchers:

Dr�ge,Witteberg (BM; E; G-DC; K; PRE; S; SAM; TCD); Flanagan 1593 (NU; PRE; SAM); Galpin 6275 (PRE); Oliver 5219 (K; PRE; S).