Two new species of Euryops (Asteraceae: Senecioneae) from the Sneeuberg, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

We describe two new species from the Sneeuberg, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa: Euryops proteoides and E. exsudans. Both species are locally prolific with populations centred east of the Nardousberg (Graaff-Reinet District). In a molecular phylogeny based on Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequence data, E. exsudans is sister to E. galpinii, but morphology suggests affinities to E. virgineus, E. algoënsis and E. latifolius, all of which are Eastern Cape species. The affinities of E. proteoides are less certain, but it is shown to be basal to a clade comprising E. tenuissimus, E. linifolius and E. hebecarpus, although with no support. Morphologically the species is very similar to the Drakensberg species E. evansii. These two new species augment the suggestion that the greater Sneeuberg region should be recognised as a local centre of Asteraceae diversity and as a centre of diversity for Euryops in particular.