About Felicia aethiopica (Burm.fil.) Grau
Felicia aethiopica (Burm.fil.) Grau has two recognized subspecies, with the following description for the nominate subspecies Felicia aethiopica subsp. aethiopica. It is a low, branched shrublet that grows up to 50 cm (1+2⁄3 ft) high. Its shoots are loosely hairy to glandular, and lower stems are covered by reddish bark. Leaves are rigidly leathery; most are arranged alternately along the stems, only leaves at the base are arranged oppositely, and opposite arrangement rarely also occurs higher on the shoot. Leaves usually extend from the stem at a right angle, and lower stem leaves even often curve weakly downward. Leaf shape ranges from narrow to broadly elliptic to obovate (inverted egg-shaped), 5–20 mm (1⁄5–4⁄5 in) long and 2–8 mm (0.079–0.315 in) wide, with rolled-down margins. Leaves vary from hairless to strongly bristly hairy and glandular, with all intermediate forms occurring. Flower heads grow individually on distinct inflorescence stalks, which are mostly heavily glandular near the top. The bracts surrounding the head, which together form the involucre, are arranged in two whorls, and the involucre can reach up to 8 mm (1⁄3 in) in diameter. Inner whorl bracts are inverted lance-shaped, about 5 mm (0.20 in) long and 1 mm (0.039 in) wide, ribbed, and slightly bristly. Outer bracts are lance-shaped, about 6 mm (0.24 in) long and 1 mm wide, with three sunken resin ducts. They match the leaf indumentum, varying from bristly hairy to glandular. There are around 12 to 14 female ray florets, each with a blue strap-shaped ligula approximately 11 mm (0.43 in) long and 1½ mm (0.06 in) wide. These ray florets surround many bisexual disc florets that have a yellow corolla about 4 mm (0.16 in) long. The center of each corolla holds five free filaments and five anthers merged into a tube; when the floret opens, the style grows through this tube, collecting pollen onto its shaft. Both style branches have a triangular appendage at their tip. Around the base of the corolla is a single whorl of robust, equally long, white pappus bristles roughly 4 mm (0.16 in) long; the bristles are shortly toothed, smooth at their base, and mostly persistent. The mature, dry, one-seeded, indehiscent fruits (called cypselae) are black, inverted egg-shaped to elliptic, approximately 3 mm (0.12 in) long and 1½ mm (0.06 in) wide. They have a ridge along their outline, are hairless or rarely have a few bristles near the top, and have an otherwise smooth seed coat. Felicia aethiopica subsp. ecklonis differs from the nominate subspecies by having completely hairy cypselae. In terms of distribution, habitat and ecology, Felicia aethiopica subsp. aethiopica has a smaller distribution than the other subspecies. It is restricted to the Cape Peninsula, the Kogelberg area, the areas around Hermanus and Gansbaai, the Potberg, and the region near Swellendam. Subsp. ecklonis ranges from the Cedarberg in the north, through the mountains near Porterville, to Riviersonderend and Witsand, and extends as far as Natal. Both subspecies grow on sandy or rocky flats and slopes.
