Rubus cacoeimon A. Beek 2021, stat. nov.

13. Rubus cacoeimon A.Beek stat. nov.

Replaced synonym:— Rubus rigidus f. umbrosus Gustafsson (1934: 58).

Lectotype (designated here):— SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape: ‘Prov. Cap.: prope Port Elizabeth, in convalle Bethelsdorp Kloof’, 31 August 1930, Exped. Suecica in Africam Austr. et Rhodesiam austr. 1930–31, nr. 303, Fries, Norlindh & Weimarck (PRE). (Fig. 12A)

Syntype:— SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape: Port Elizabeth [mount Suurberg, see Gustafsson (1934)], 7 September 1930, Fries, Norlindh & Weimarck 709 (PRE).

Floricane roundish or bluntly angular, pruinose, with appressed hairs; prickles 4–5 per 5 cm, unequal, longest ones patent or slightly declining, with curved tip, 4–6 mm long. Flowering branch (Fig. 12B) bluntly angular to roundish, short tomentose; prickles 4–8 per cm, unequal, subulate, patent or declining, straight or with curved tip, up to 3–5 mm long; stipules linear-lanceolate, 7–10 mm. Leaves 3-foliolate, adaxially almost glabrous, abaxially (Fig. 12C) short soft hairy and tomentose, greenish or grey; tomentum often very irregular, sometimes apical leaves greener than basal ones (hence epithet cacoeimon: ‘badly dressed’); serrature irregular, often short periodical, sharp, with long mucros; central leaflet 35–40 mm long, broad ovate or rhombic, with emarginate or cordate base, acute or attenuate into short tip, width–length index 0.73–0.94, length of petiolule 18–31% of length of leaflet. Inflorescence (Figs 12D–E) short, triangular, dense, with short appressed hairs, with scattered prickles; pedicels (Fig. 12F) 0–3 mm, short grey tomentose, without prickles. Flowers: sepals ovate, short pointed, erect, grey tomentose; petals as long as sepals.

Distribution: —On scattered localities from Bredasdorp (Western Cape) to Kokstad (KwaZulu-Natal), South Africa.

Specimens:— SOUTH AFRICA. KwaZulu-Natal: Kokstad, 10 km to Franklin, 9 November 1980, Stirton 8146 (PRE, ‘ Rubus rigidus Sm. var. rigidus’). Western Cape: Buffelsjagrivier, Bredasdorp, 24 September 1976, Stirton 8168 (PRE, ‘ Rubus rigidus Sm. var. rigidus ’); Riversdale, Ladysmith Road, Garcia’s Pass, 20 January 1991, Henderson 1115 (PRE). Eastern Cape: Humewood, Port Elizabeth, 30 August 1966, Dahlstrand 451 (PRE).