Ceropegia mohanramii S.R. Yadav, M.N. Gavade & Sardesai, Rheedea

Ceropegia mohanramii S.R. Yadav, M.N. Gavade & Sardesai, Rheedea View in CoL 16(1): 33. 2006; Karthik. et al., Fl. Pl. India 1: 163. 2009; Kambale & S.R. Yadav, Asklepios 115: 36. 2013. Type: INDIA, Maharashtra, Sindhudurg district, Kudal Tehsil, Kochara , 29.07.2000, M.M. Sardesai 2541 (holo CAL!; iso K!, SUK!, BLAT, BSI!). Fig. 55 View Fig

Perennial erect herbs. Rootstock tuberous; tubers 2–4 cm in diam., slightly depressed globose; roots fibrous.Stem c. 24 cm long, terete, 4–7 mm in diam., usually unbranched, internodes 0.5–3.2 cm (lower internodes c. 3.2 cm, upper c. 0.5 cm), puberulous, sparingly hairy, greenish-white. Leaves sessile to sub-sessile; lamina 1.8–5.5 × 0.3–0.6 cm (lower ones small, middle large and terminal small), linear-lanceolate, occasionally falcate, channeled above, midrib puberulous beneath, glabrous beneath, except for midrib, ciliolate along margins. Flowers solitary, extra-axillary; peduncles 1–2 mm long, terete, puberulous; bracts 1.5–2 × 0.3–0.5 mm, solitary, linear, acute, glabrous; pedicels 8–8.5 × 0.5–1 mm, slender, terete, pubescent. Sepals 3–3.5 × 0.1–0.15 mm, linear-subulate, acuminate, hairy along midnerve up to middle of lobe; tube 3.2– 3.5 cm long, c. half or 2/3 rd part of corolla dilated, glabrous, green throughout, with slight yellow tinge; tube 2.4–2.6 cm long, with 5 distinct lines, slightly curved, pale purple within dilated part and striated with purple lines up to the throat; tube rarely hairy in the dilated part within, glabrous otherwise; lobes linear-oblong (at base), 0.8–1 cm long, reflexed at base, connate at tip forming ampuliform cage, finely pubescent along margins and within, sometimes blotched with purple small dots/lines within. Corona bi-seriate, stipitate; outer of 5 shortly bifid lobes, bowl-shaped, densely ciliate along margins and within; inner of 5 erect, erecto-divergent linear lobes, 2.5–3 mm long, yellow blotched with purple. Pollinarium 0.6 × 0.4 mm, pollinia broadly elliptic. Follicles usually in pairs, rarely single, 3.2–6.4 × 0.2–0.3 cm, straight, slightly curved on drying, tapering at both ends, erect. Seeds 3–5 × 1.5–1.7 mm, ovate-oblong; coma 1–1.2 cm long.

Flowering & fruiting: July–December.

Chromosome number: 2 n = 22 ( Gosavi et al., 2012).

Habitat: Grows on low elevation lateritic plateaus in association with Flemingia nilgheriensis (Baker) T. Cooke and Wrightia tinctoria R.Br.

Distribution: Endemic to Maharashtra, India.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Maharashtra, Sindhudurg district, Kochara, Sriramwadi , 11.07.2010, S. S . Kambale SUK 2559 View Materials ; Sriramwadi (grown in garden), 16.07.2011, S. S . Kambale SUK 2576 View Materials ; 12.08.2013, S. S . Kambale SSK 66; 15.08.2014, S. S . Kambale SSK 267 ( SUK!) .

Conservation status: This plant is known only from the type locality in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. It is assessed here as Critically

Endangered [CR: B2 a, b (iii, iv, v)].

Notes: Ceropegia mohanramii is closely similar to C. attenuata but differs in its shorter corolla lobes and ampuliform cage.