Othonna is a genus of approximately 90 species[3] of succulent or subsucculent perennial herbs or shrubs, with its center of diversity in the Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) of South Africa but some species' ranges include southern Namibia, Angola, and Zimbabwe.[4] The genus was established by Linnaeus in 1753 containing 14 species, however, of those original species, only four are still retained in Othonna, while the others have been transferred to different genera[5] including Cineraria, Euryops, Hertia, Ligularia, Senecio, and Tephroseris.[5] The genus Othonnna is known to be monophyletic.[6] In 2012, a new genus Crassothonna B. Nord. was erected with 13 species transferred from Othonna.[7] A complete modern taxonomic treatment of the genus is being undertaken by the Compton Herbarium and the South African National Biodiversity Institute. The first part, a revision of the Othonnna bulbosa group (those species that are geophytic with an aerial stem), was published in 2019.[5]

Othonna
Othonna capensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribe: Senecioneae
Genus: Othonna
L. (1753)
Type species
Othonna coronopifolia[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Doria Thunb.
  • Ceradia Lindl.
  • Calthoides B.Juss. ex DC.
  • Aristotela Adanson

The name Othonna is derived from the Ancient Greek ὄθοννα and the Latin othone, which is a linen cloth or napkin, in allusion to the downy covering of some of the earlier known species.[8][9]

Several species in the Othonna and Crassothonna are commonly called bobbejaankool[10] in Afrikaans which translates to baboon cress or baboon cabbages.[11]

Species in the Othonna bulbosa group[5]

Species[12]

References edit

  1. ^ Tropicos, Othonna L.
  2. ^ Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist
  3. ^ Magoswana, Simon Luvo; Boatwright, James Stephen; Magee, Anthony R.; Manning, John C. (2020). "Othonna cerarioides (Asteraceae: Othonnineae), a new species from Namaqualand, South Africa". Nordic Journal of Botany. 38 (3). doi:10.1111/njb.02588. ISSN 1756-1051. S2CID 216517359.
  4. ^ Manning, John; Goldblatt, Peter (2013). Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region, Volume 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI Publishing). ISBN 9781919976747.
  5. ^ a b c d Magoswana, Simon L.; Boatwright, James S.; Magee, Anthony R.; Manning, John C. (2019). "A Taxonomic Revision of the Othonna Bulbosa Group (Asteraceae: Senecioneae: Othonninae)1". Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 104 (4): 515–562. doi:10.3417/2019340. hdl:10566/7664. ISSN 0026-6493. S2CID 209573284.
  6. ^ Pelser, Pieter B.; Nordenstam, Bertil; Kadereit, Joachim W.; Watson, Linda E. (2007). "An ITS phylogeny of tribe Senecioneae (Asteraceae) and a new delimitation of Senecio L." Taxon. 56 (4): 1077–1104. doi:10.2307/25065905. ISSN 1996-8175. JSTOR 25065905.
  7. ^ Nordenstam, Bertil (2012). "Crassothonna B. Nord., a new African genus of succulent Compositae-Senecioneae". Compositae Newsletter. 50.
  8. ^ "Othonna word origin". Etymologeek. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  9. ^ "Othonna grandidentata | CasaBio". casabio.org. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  10. ^ "Threatened Species Programme | SANBI Red List of South African Plants". redlist.sanbi.org. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  11. ^ "Baboon Cabbages (Genus Othonna)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  12. ^ "Threatened Species Programme | SANBI Red List of South African Plants". redlist.sanbi.org. Retrieved 2021-04-30.

External links edit

  •   Media related to Othonna at Wikimedia Commons
  •   Data related to Othonna at Wikispecies