Ceropegia acicularis Kidyoo, 2014

Ceropegia acicularis Kidyoo View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Fig.1 View FIGURE 1 )

Ceropegia acicularis is distinguished from C. thailandica by its branched stem, small solitary flower and spatulate corolla lobes.

Type:— THAILAND. Ubon Ratchathani: Pha Taem National Park , 227 m, 12 September 2010, M. Kidyoo 1507 (holotype, BCU! , isotype, BKF! ).

Herbs, perennial, erect, not twining, with clear latex in all parts. Rootstock tuberous, tubers subglobose or irregular, light brown, 1.5–3 cm in diam., usually with a cluster of fusiform roots. Stem solitary or several arising from tuber, terete to slightly rectangular, glabrous, usually branched, 10–20 cm tall, 1.2–2.5 mm in diam., green when young, turning brown with age; internodes 1.3–5.7 cm long. Leaves opposite, sessile; blade straight, filiform, succulent, 2– 6.5 × 0.08–0.12 cm, slightly semi-circular in cross section, coriaceous, base attenuate, margins entire, apex acuminate; abaxial surface pale green, glabrous, adaxial surface green, glabrous; veins obscure. Flower solitary, axillary or extra-axillary; pedicel stout, erect, green, pinkish white or reddish brown, 3–5 mm long, 0.7–0.8 mm in diam., glabrous; bract solitary, attached at base of pedicel, ca. 0.5 × 0.2 mm, lanceolate, green or pinkish brown, apex acute to acuminate. Calyx deeply 5-parted, lobes green or greenish or reddish brown, triangular, 1–1.2 × 0.4– 0.5 mm, apex sharply acute, glabrous. Corolla tubular-urceolate, upright, straight; corolla tube yellowish white or pinkish white with 5-reddish brown bands or dots alternate to the sepals, 6.5–9.3 mm long, glabrous, slightly inflated at base (about 2/3 length of tube length), 4.5–5.5 mm in diam., then narrowing into a tube 2.5–3 mm in diam., interior glabrous, yellowish white with reddish brown line along tube; lobes spatulate, apex acute, 4.5–7.3 × 1.8–2.1 mm, outside yellowish white with reddish brown bands along margin or with scattered reddish brown spots, inside green or greenish brown; basal part loosely twisted, 3–5.4 × 1–1.3 mm, inside covered with white hairs, margins slightly reflexed, auriculate, auricles reddish brown; apically connate and forming a cage-like structure. Gynostegium stipitate, stipe 1.1–1.5 mm tall, 1.2–1.5 mm in diam. Corona double, outer corona formed by 5 lobes, joined to form a shallow cup, apex of lobes short, bifid, dark brown in color and covered with hair at each tip; inner corona formed by 5 lobes, terete, 2–2.3 mm long, 0.2–0.3 mm in diam., lower part dark brown, incumbent on dorsal surface of anthers, apical part connivent-erect, yellowish white or pinkish white, apex slightly recurved. Pollinaria 5, pollinium broadly ovoid, yellow, 0.38–0.40 × 0.27–0.29 mm, translators stout, hyaline, ca. 0.07× 0.1 mm, corpusculum spatulate, reddish brown, 0.20–0.33 × 0.12–0.14 mm. Ovaries 2, ovoid, ca. 1.4 mm long, 0.4 mm in diam., glabrous. Fruits follicles, usually 2, linear-lanceolate in outline, green when young, turning reddish brown with age, 8.5–10 cm long, 2.5–3 mm in diam. Seeds oblong, 8–10 × 2.3–2.5 mm, with a single coma of hairs 1.2–1.5 cm long, silky white.

Distribution:— Thailand (Ubon Ratchathani Province).

Habitat & Ecology: —In sandy soil in open areas of deciduous dipterocarp forest at 139–227 m elevation. Flowering July–October.

Etymology:— The specific epithet, acicularis , refers to the markedly needle-like leaves.