Ceropegia pullaiahii Raja Kullayisw., Sandhyar. & Karupp., Nordic J. Bot.

Ceropegia pullaiahii Raja Kullayisw., Sandhyar. & Karupp., Nordic J. Bot. View in CoL 31(2): 166. 2012. Type: INDIA, Andhra Pradesh, Anantapur district, Nigidi forest , 22.10.2011, K. Raja Kullayiswamy 41845 (holo SKU!; iso MH!; para SKU!). Fig. 32 View Fig

Vernacular name: Bodanimmatagadda (Telugu).

Perennial twining herbs. Rootstock tuberous; tubers c. 2.5–3.8 cm in diam., depressed globose-discoid; roots fibrous. Stem twining, c. 2.5 m long, unbranched, glabrous. Lamina 8–16.5 × 0.2–1.2 cm, linear to elliptic-lanceolate, narrower at the both ends, broad at the middle, distinctly hairy above, scabrous beneath, puberulent along margins; petioles 0.6–1.2 cm long, channeled above, hairy along margins, glabrous otherwise. Cymes 2–3-flowered, extra-axillary; peduncles 3–5 mm long, terete, puberulous; bracts 2–3 mm long, linear; pedicels 6.5–6.6 mm long, puberulous. Sepals 0.8–1 cm long, linear, puberulous along midnerve, glabrous otherwise. Corolla 5.5–8.5 cm long; tube 2.4–3.5 cm long, erect-slightly curved, abruptly dilated at base, dilated part is globose, cylindrical in middle, funnel-shaped at throat, glabrous within, greenish to yellowish-white blotched with purple, light windows with purple ring at the dilated part, deep purple at middle within, striations up to the base of corolla lobes; lobes linear from deltoid base, 2–4 cm long, reflexed along their back, connate at the tip forming a narrow beak, finely pubescent, dull green at upper 3/4 th part, deep purple blotched at lower 1/4 th part. Corona bi-seriate; outer of 5-bifid deltoid lobes, 2.5–3.5 long, c. 7 mm across, saucer-shaped, glabrous along margins, hairy within, purple along margins, yellow otherwise; inner of linear erect lobes, c. 4.5 mm long, glabrous, deep purple at the base, yellowish blotched with pink. Pollinarium 1–1.3 mm long. Follicles in pairs, divergent, 8–10.3 cm long, unequal, blunt at the tip, glabrous, brownish purple. Seeds ovoid, flattened, c. 7 × 3 mm, dark brown, glabrous, comose; coma c. 2.5 cm long, silky white.

Flowering & fruiting: October–December.

Habitat: Grows in grassy slopes of open dry

deciduous forests at an elevation of 714 m in association with Cymbopogon coloratus Stapf.

Distribution: So far known only from the type locality in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Andhra Pradesh, Anantapur district, Kadiri forest , Batrepalli, 26.10.2013, S. S . Kambale & R . Kullaiswamy SSK 98; Ibid. , 05.09.2014, S. S . Kambale & R . Kullayiswamy SSK 302 ( SUK!) .

Conservation status: During field survey about 20 individuals were located. It is assessed as Critically Endangered [CR: B2 a, b (iii, iv, v)].

Notes: Ceropegia pullaiahii is morphologically similar to C. spiralis Wight , but can be distinguished from it in having linear-slightly twisted corolla lobes and gradually dilated corolla tube. It is also close to C. mahabalei Hemadri & Ansari in floral morphology but differs from it in its glabrous, twining habit and 2–3-flowered cymes.

Ceropegia rollae Hemadri, Bull. Bot. Surv. View in CoL India 10: 123. 1969; Ansari, Fasc. Fl. India 16: 29. 1984; M.P. Nayar & Sastry, Red Data Book Indian Pl. 2: 54. 1988; A.P. Jagtap & N.P. Singh, Fasc. Fl. India 24: 237. 1999; D.K. Mishra & N.P. Singh, Endem. Threat. Pl. Maharashtra 148. 2001; A.P. Jagtap & Das Das in N.P. Singh et al., Fl. Maharashtra, Dicot. 2: 355. 2001; M.R. Almeida, Fl. Maharashtra 3 A: 237. 2001; Karthik. et al., Fl. Pl. India 1: 163. 2009; Kambale & S.R. Yadav, Asklepios 115: 37. 2013; Punekar et al., Nelumbo 55: 25. 2013. Type: INDIA, Maharashtra, Pune district, Junnar, Dhak Khilla, 29. 09. 1965, K. Hemadri 107472A (holo CAL!; iso BSI!, K!, L!).

Ceropegia lawii auct . F. Albers & Meve, Ill. Handb. Succ. Pl. Asclepiadaceae 85. 2002, p.p., non Hook.f.,1883. Fig. 33 View Fig

Vernacular name: Kharpudi (Marathi).

Perennial erect herbs. Rootstock tuberous; tubers 4–5 cm in diam., discoid-subglobose; roots fibrous. Stem 30–200 cm long, terete fleshy, clothed with short coarse bulbous based hairs. Leaves rarely in whorls of three at each node, glabrous; lamina broadly ovate, acute at apex, cordate at base, bulbous based hairs above and along veins beneath, glabrous otherwise; petioles 0.6–1.5 cm long, channeled above, puberulous. Cymes sub-umbellate, extra-axillary and terminal; peduncles, 1.5–2.7 cm long,terete, hirsute; bracts 3–5 mm long, linear-subulate, rarely bi-forked at tip, pubescent along margins; bracteoles c. 2 mm long; pedicels 0.5–1.5 cm long, with bulbous based hairs. Sepals 3–5 mm long, linear-lanceolate, puberulous along midnerve. Corolla 2.3–3 cm long, white; tube 1.3– 1.8 cm long, slightly curved, glabrous, purple and glabrous within, gradually dilated towards base, cylindrical otherwise; lobes white, 1–1.3 × c. 0.35 cm, connate at tips, forming a quadrangular cage, glabrous. Corona bi-seriate; outer saucer-shaped, shorter than gynostegium; lobes slightly divergent at maturity; outer c. 3 × 3 mm across, ciliate along margins, yellow; inner of 5 erect linear lobes, c. 3 mm long, purple spots on either sides at the base, yellow. Follicles in pairs, 5–6 × 0.4–0.5 cm, linear, terete, tapering at the both ends. Seeds many, 5–6 × 2–3 mm, ovate, oblong, marginate; coma 1.5–2 cm long.

Flowering & fruiting: August–October.

Habitat: Grows along hill slopes amidst Strobilanthes callosa Nees and in lateritic soil on hill tops in association with Chlorophytum glaucum Dalzell , Pinda concanensis (Dalzell) P.K. Mukh. & Constance and Senecio sp.

Distribution: Endemic to northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Maharashtra, Ahmednagar district, Harishchandragad , 06.09.2013, S. S . Kambale SSK 73; Durgawadi , 07.09.2013, S. S . Kambale SSK 77 ( SUK!); Pune district, Durgawadi (grown in garden), 15.08.2011, S. S . Kambale SUK 2591 View Materials ; Junnar Durga Khilla , 01.10.1965, K . Hemadri 107547 C ( CAL!), 107547D ( BSI!, CAL!, K!); Junnar, Durgawadi, 30.09.2010, S. S . Kambale SUK 2566 View Materials ; Varandha ghat, 15.07.2003, M. Y . Kamble 2137; Ibid. , 11.08.2013, S. S . Kambale SSK 65 ( SUK!) .

Conservation status: Nayar and Sastry (1987) assessed it as Rare. After thorough survey in Western Ghats it is revealed that species is represented by a few individuals at localities of its occurrence. Habitat modifications, fragmented populations and food value of tuber are the major threats to the species. It is assessed here as Critically Endangered [CR: B2 a, b (iii, iv)].

Notes: Ceropegia rollae is often considered as a synonym of C. lawii Hook.f. ( Meve, 2002; The Plant List, 2013). However, field observations revealed that this is rather a distinct species. C. rollae usually have terminal inflorescences and saucer-shaped shallow outer corona (vs. extra-axillary inflorescences and deeply bifid bowl-shaped corona as in C. lawii ). It is also related to C. sahyadrica and C. panchganiensis in its erect habit and white flowers but differs from them in having globose-oblong cage of corolla lobes and cylindrical corolla tube with gradually dilated base.

Ceropegia sahyadrica Ansari & B.G. Kulk. View in CoL , Indian Forester 97(12): 688. 1971; Ansari, Fasc. Fl. India 16: 29. 1984; M.P. Nayar & Sastry, Red Data Book Indian Pl. 1: 69. 1987; S.M. Almeida, Fl. Savantwadi 1: 258. 1989; A.P. Jagtap & N.P. Singh, Fasc. Fl. India 24: 238. 1999; D.K. Mishra & N.P. Singh, Endem. Threat. Pl. Maharashtra 149. 2001; A.P. Jagtap & Das Das in N.P. Singh et al., Fl. Maharashtra, Dicot. 2: 357. 2001; Kambale & S.R. Yadav, Asklepios 115: 38. 2013; Punekar et al., Nelumbo 55: 26. 2013. Type: INDIA, Maharashtra, Sindhudurg district, Amboli Ghat, B.G. Kulkarni 108643A (holo CAL!; iso BSI!, CAL!, K!).

C. lawii auct . T. Cooke, Fl. Bombay 2: 175. 1904; F. Albers & Meve, Ill. Handb. Succ. Pl. Asclepiadaceae 85. 2002. p.p., non Hook.f. 1883.

C. panchganiensis auct . Reddi, Wildenowia 5(1): 32. 1968; Hemadri, Bull. Bot. Surv. India 10 (2): 125. 1968, non Blatt. & McCann., 1933.

Perennial erect herbs. Rootstock tuberous; tubers in 2–3.5 cm in diam., sub-globose; roots fibrous. Stem 20–45 cm long, generally single from a tuber, occasionally 2–3, usually unbranched, cylindrical, quadrangular at base, pubescent. Lamina variable, 4–8.5 × 1.2–4.4 cm; lower ones ovate, acute at apex, rounded-cordate at base, upper ones ovate-lanceolate, scabrid above, glabrous beneath, ciliolate along nerves beneath; petioles 1–1.5 cm long, channeled above, pubescent. Cymes umbellate, extra-axillary; peduncles 1–7 cm long, terete, slender, hirsute; bracts 0.4–0.45 × c. 0.15 cm, subulate, glabrous; pedicels 0.8–1.7 cm long, terete pubescent. Sepals 0.5–0.55 × c. 0.1 cm, linear (subulate), glabrous, rarely hairy, on the midnerve. Corolla 3.8–4.3 cm long, ashy-white; tube 2.5–3.5 cm long, straight-curved, gradually dilated towards base, dilated part broadly ovate, cylindrical at throat, glabrous, dark purple within lower 3/4 th portion, white at upper 1/4 th portion, minutely hairy at the dilated part within; lobes 0.8–1 cm long, ovate-cordate in shape, connate at tip forming a obconic-obovate cage, 1.5–1.7 cm across, glabrous, colour of corolla lobe variable, in upper-half it ranges from pale yellow, deep green, olive green, white, at lower half consistently white. Corona bi-seriate; outer of 5 lobes, obtuse, 1–1.5 × c. 3 mm across, ciliate along margins and within, yellow; inner of 5 erect linear lobes, c. 5 mm long, connate at their tip, minutely pubescent at the base, tinged with purple at apex. Follicles in pairs, 5–7 cm long, terete, tapering at both ends. Seeds many, 4–7 × c. 2 mm, ovate-oblong, marginate, comose; coma 1.5–2 cm long.

Key to the varieties

1. Corolla lobes olive green, yellow to purple colour in the upper-half; inner corona connivent .................................... var. sahyadrica View in CoL

1. Corolla lobes bright white; inner corona connivent to divergent .............. var. karulensis View in CoL