A taxonomic study of Sorocephalus and Spatalla
type: CreativeWork
description: A brief historical review of previous taxonomic studies on Leucospermum is given. The principal diagnostic characters used in the present revision are evaluated. A complete taxonomic revision of the genus has been tinder taken. All the relevant names have been typified and all the type specimens have been personally examined, except in a few cases where no type of material could be traced. For each species the synonymy is given, the diagnostic characters are enumerated, brief historical comments are made where relevant and short ecological observations are provided. The distribution ranges. of all taxa recognized have been mapped. ·In the present study, 47 species are upheld, arranged in 9 sections. 8 new species, L. innovans, L. pluridens, L. praecox, L. fulgens, L. erubescens, L. utriculosum, L. profugum and L. secundifolium are described. A key to the species is provided. Mass gatherings have been used in several cases to investigate' the variation ranges in complex groups. All but 3 taxa have been studied in the field. Although much of the variation in the polymorphic species L. cuneiforme appears to be random, a topocline in respect of leaf width was observed. Leaf width was found to increase from east to west over the distribution range of L. cuneiforme. A reappraisal of the taxonomic status of several complex vicarious populations was made, particularly those now upheld as L. profugum and L. spathulatum, praecox and L. fulgens L. catherinae and L. formosum, L. calligerum and L. wittebergense and L. alpinum and L. obtusatum. An ecocline in the species here delimited as L. oleaefolium is described. To demonstrate the cline, samples were obtained along a transect, over an altitudinal (and also ecological) gradient. When mass gatherings, made at intervals along the transect,were evaluated, continuous variation in respect of growth habit, leaf pubescence and in the length and pubescence of the involucral bracts, was observed. Chromosome counts for 16 species of Le…
abstract: A brief historical review of previous taxonomic studies on Leucospermum is given. The principal diagnostic characters used in the present revision are evaluated. A complete taxonomic revision of the genus has been tinder taken. All the relevant names have been typified and all the type specimens have been personally examined, except in a few cases where no type of material could be traced. For each species the synonymy is given, the diagnostic characters are enumerated, brief historical comments are made where relevant and short ecological observations are provided. The distribution ranges. of all taxa recognized have been mapped. ·In the present study, 47 species are upheld, arranged in 9 sections. 8 new species, L. innovans, L. pluridens, L. praecox, L. fulgens, L. erubescens, L. utriculosum, L. profugum and L. secundifolium are described. A key to the species is provided. Mass gatherings have been used in several cases to investigate' the variation ranges in complex groups. All but 3 taxa have been studied in the field. Although much of the variation in the polymorphic species L. cuneiforme appears to be random, a topocline in respect of leaf width was observed. Leaf width was found to increase from east to west over the distribution range of L. cuneiforme. A reappraisal of the taxonomic status of several complex vicarious populations was made, particularly those now upheld as L. profugum and L. spathulatum, praecox and L. fulgens L. catherinae and L. formosum, L. calligerum and L. wittebergense and L. alpinum and L. obtusatum. An ecocline in the species here delimited as L. oleaefolium is described. To demonstrate the cline, samples were obtained along a transect, over an altitudinal (and also ecological) gradient. When mass gatherings, made at intervals along the transect,were evaluated, continuous variation in respect of growth habit, leaf pubescence and in the length and pubescence of the involucral bracts, was observed. Chromosome counts for 16 species of Le…
author: Rourke, John Patrick
keywords: Spatalla
date published: 1967
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:22:51Z
provider: University of Cape Town
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Department of Biological Sciences

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38927