Key to the southern African species of the Relhania and Macowania groups in the Gnaphalieae (Asteraceae)
Southern Africa is an important distribution centre for the family Asteraceae as well as for the tribe Gnaphalieae. For this tribe it houses 24% of the world’s species. More remarkable is that 75% of the Gnaphalieae genera in southern Africa and as many as 96% of the species are endemic.
The key covers 58 species (including subspecies) of the Macowania and Relhania groups in the tribe Gnaphalieae. All species are endemic to southern Africa except for 2 species of Leysera. All species have yellow ray and disc florets and brown chaffy or cartilaginous involucral bracts in several rows. It includes the genera: Antithrixia DC., Arrowsmithia DC., Comborhiza Anderberg & Bremer, Leysera L., Macowania Oliv., Nestlera Spreng., Oedera L., Oreolysera Bremer, Relhania L’Herit., Rhynchopsidium DC. and Rosenia Thunb.
Author: Marinda Koekemoer
