Four new species of Ursinia (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) from South Africa, with an updated key to the genus in Namaqualand

Recent field and herbarium studies of the southern African genus Ursinia (Anthemideae, Asteraceae) in Namaqualand, South Africa, have revealed greater morphological variability than currently accommodated and a high percentage of misidentified specimens. In an attempt to remedy this we herein describe four new species (Ursinia arida, U. glandulosa, U. kamiesbergensis and U. laciniata) and provide a key to the species in the region, together with illustrations of their involucral bracts and paleae.

The species can be distinguished by a combination of their life history, vestiture, presence or absence of appendages on the paleae, and shape of the involucral bracts and their scarious apices.