Annesorhiza asparagoides (Apiaceae), a new species from the Cederberg Mountains, Western Cape Province, South Africa

A highly localised new species from the Cederberg Mountains near Wuppertal in the Western Cape Province is described. Annesorhiza asparagoides B.-E. Van Wyk, collected for the first time in 2009, differs from all other species of Annesorhiza (and the closely related Chamarea) in the unusual leaf structure, with crowded, subsessile, acicular leaf segments, resulting in dense, bottlebrush-like pinnae. The new species has a cluster of 10 or more slender roots, small (< 150 mm long), sparsely hairy leaves and small (± 8 mm long), oblong, conspicuously ribbed, homomericarpic fruits.

Research highlights►A highly localised new species from the Cederberg Mountains is described. ►Annesorhiza asparagoides B.-E. Van Wyk has crowded, bottlebrush-like pinnae. ►The new species has a cluster of 10 or more slender roots. ►The fruits are small (ca. 8 mm long), oblong, ribbed and homomericarpic.