A new species of Alepidea (Apiaceae, subfam. Saniculoideae)

The current concept of Alepidea amatymbica Eckl. and Zeyh. embraces two distinct species which can be distinguished on the basis of leaf morphology: (1) A. amatymbica sensu stricto, which has the radical leaves attenuate at their bases and (2) A. cordifolia B.-E. Van Wyk, a new species with the radical leaves cordate at their bases. The new species also differs in the presence of minute hispid hairs on the terminal parts of the peduncles and sometimes also on the basal parts of the involucre and the sepals, styles and stylopodium. The two species are vicariants, with A. amatymbica occurring from the Eastern Cape Province northwards to the southwestern parts of KwaZulu-Natal and A. cordifolia from here northwards to Lesotho, Swaziland, Mpumalanga Province and eastern Zimbabwe.