Ceropegia bulbosa Roxb. var. bulbosa

Ceropegia bulbosa Roxb. var. bulbosa View in CoL Fig. 14 View Fig

Flowering & fruiting: June–December.

Chromosome number: 2 n = 22 ( Raghavan & Ansari, 1975).

Habitat: Grows along hills slopes in rock crevices and in association with Anogeissus latifolia , Woodfordia fruticosa Kurz and Prosopis juliflora DC.

Distribution: India, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, North Yemen, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Tanzania.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Andhra Pradesh, Cuddapah district , 1881, R . H . Beddome ( CAL!); Nizamabad district, Nandipet R . F ., 08.10.1988, B . R . Rao FAP 7198 ( SKU!); Prakasam district , Badvel, 19.12.2007, B . Sadasivaiah & M . V . Sureshbabu FAP 30519; C . S . Puram , 28.09.2008, B . Sadasivaiah & S . K . Basha FAP 30834; Papinenipalli , 16.07.2008, B . Sadasivaiah & S . K . Basha FAP 31029 ( SKU!); Visakhapatanam district , way to Javapurami Kondal, 11.10.1972, G . V . Subbarao 42510 ( CAL!) . Gujarat, s.loc., 06.09.2013, M . Parmar & S . S . Kamable SSK 79 ( SUK!) . Karnataka, Chitradurga district, Chiradurga , 20.10.1979, T . M . Ramakrishna TMR 1347 ( MH!); Kolar district , Mannagudda, 05.12.1977, T . M . Ramakrishna TMR 1085; Kolar , 11.10.2014, S . S . Kambale & S . Surveswaran SSK 326 ( SUK!) . Madhya Pradesh, Ambikapur district, Janakpur Forest, on the road to Jausennagar , 22.08.1974, G . S . Gupta 20561 ( CAL!) . Maharashtra, Akola district , 26.06.1977, S . Y . Kamble 150083 ( BSI!); Aurangabad district, Ajintha forest , s.d., K . P . Janardhanan 100228; Mhaismal hills, 01.09.1964, K . P . Janardhanan 100092 ( BSI!); Chandrapur district , near Ambit- Hira, 13.10.1972, B . M . Wadhawa 129271 ( BSI!); Kolhapur district , s.d., M . M . Sardesai s.n. ( SUK!); Ratnagiri district , Ganapatipule, 04.09.2003, M . Y . Kamble s.n. ( SUK!); Nasik district, Chandwad , K . V .C. Gosavi SSK 19 ( SUK!); Pune district, Junnar, Bhivade Khurd , 21.09.1968, K . Hemadri 117930 A ; Katraj Ghat , 13.08.1965, M . Y . Ansari & B . V . Reddy 161201 ( BSI!); Satara district , Kartikswami, 03.10.2004, M . Y . Kamble 2118; Vaduj, Amberi , P . R . Lawand & S . S . Kambale SSK 89; Kas , 10. 1994, M . P . Bachulkar-Cholekar 5590; Karad , 18.10.2011, S . S . Kambale 3134; Yenake , 13.07.2014, S . S . Kambale SSK 241( SUK!); Satara, 07.07.2013, S . S . Kamable SSK 51. Solapur district, Barshi , Gholavewadi , A . R . Gholave & S . S . Kambale SSK 80; Ibid. , 01.09.2014, A . R . Gholave SSK 297 ( SUK!); Thane district, Dhowla maki, Badlapur range, 24.09.1968, K . V . Billore 15355; Ibid., 11.1940, McCann 4945 ( CAL!) . Rajasthan, Baran district, Ramgarh hills, 25.09.1965, S . Sharma 13431 ( BSI); Udaipur district , Guwalia hills, 28.09.1962, K . C . Kanodia 82209 ( BSI!) . Tamil Nadu, South Arcot district , 06.09.1899, C . A . Barber 832 ( MH!) .

Ceropegia bulbosa Roxb. var. lushii (Graham) Hook.f., Fl. Brit. View in CoL India 4(10): 68. 1883; T. Cooke, Fl. Bombay 2: 176. 1908; Duthie, Fl. Gangetic Plain 2: 66. 1911; H. Huber, Mem. Soc. Broter. 12: 60. 1957; Gamble, Fl. Madras 4: 857.1957; Ansari, Fasc. Fl. India 16: 11. 1984; B.D. Sharma et al., Fl. Karnataka, Analysis 165. 1984; S.D. Deshp. et al., Fl. Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra 1: 360. 1993; Hanumanthappa in Pull. & Moulali, Fl. Andhra Pradesh 2: 584. 1997; Naik, Fl. Marathwada 1: 544. 1998; A.P. Jagtap & N.P. Singh, Fasc. Fl. India 24: 217. 1999; M.R. Almeida, Fl. Maharashtra 3 A: 229. 2001; F. Albers & Meve, Ill. Handb. Succ. Pl. Asclepiadaceae 70. 2002; T.S. Nayar et al., Fl. Pl. Kerala 84. 2006; Karthik. et al., Fl. Pl. India 2: 160. 2009; Kambale & S.R. Yadav, Asklepios 115: 29. 2013. Ceropegia lushii Graham, Bot. Mag. View in CoL 61: t. 3300. 1834; Dalzell & A. Gibson, Bombay Fl. 154. 1861. C. bulbosa var. lushii (Graham) Hook.f. 1883 View in CoL . Lectotype: Bot. Mag. 61: t. 3300.

C. acuminata Roxb., Pl. Coromandel View in CoL 1: 12, t. 8. 1795; Dalzell & A. Gibson , Bombay Fl. 153. 1861. Lectotype: Roxb. Pl. Coromandel 1: 12, t. 8.

C. esculenta Edgew., J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot. View in CoL 6: 204. 1862. C. bulbosa Roxb. var. esculenta (Edgew.) Hook.f., Fl. Brit. View in CoL India 4(10): 68. 1883. Type: not located or apparently none preserved.

C. bulbosa auct . Kamble & S.G. Pradhan, Fl. Akola District, Maharashtra 130. 1988; B.V. Shetty & V. Singh, Fl. Rajasthan 2: 476. 1991, non Roxburgh, 1795. Fig. 15 View Fig

Vernacular name: Khapparkadu (Marathi).

Lamina linear to elliptic-lanceolate, acute at apex, rounded at base. Cymes 5–6-flowered, extra-axillary.

Flowering & fruiting: July–October.

Chromosome number: 2 n = 22 ( Raghavan & Ansari, 1975).

Habitat: Grows along hills slopes, on rocky substratum.

Distribution: India (Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu), Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, North Yemen, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Tanzania. Specimens examined: INDIA, Andhra Pradesh, Prakasam district, 22.09.1999, G. Sivaram FAP 20806 (SKU!). Gujarat, 06.09.2013, M. Parmar & S.S. Kamable SSK 79 (SUK!). Karnataka, Chitradurga district, Chiradurga, 20.10.1979, T.M. Ramakrishna TMR 1347 (MH!); Kolar district, Mannagudda, 05.12.1977, T.M. Ramakrishna TMR 1083 (MH!). Maharashtra, Kolhapur district, Kagal, 02.08.2000, P.D. Mahekar 208; Ibid., s.d., V.N. Patil P 3278 (SUK!); Pune district, Pashan village, 06.08.1965, M.Y. Ansari & B.V. Reddy 101216 (BSI!); Satara district, Kartikswami, 03.10.2004, M.Y. Kamble 2119 (SUK!); Kas, 10.1994, M.P. Bachulkar-Cholekar 5992; Solapur district, Gholavewadi, 01.09.2014, A.R. Gholave SSK 298 (SUK!). Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Chepauk, 27.11.1901, A.G. Bourne 3022 (CAL!).

Notes: Variants of C. bulbosa Roxb. have been described under different names by various authors viz. C. acuminata Roxb. ( Roxburgh, 1795) , C. lushii J. Graham ( Graham, 1834) and C. esculenta Edgew. ( Edgeworth, 1862) . Hooker (1883) reduced the latter two as varieties of C. bulbosa . Subsequently, Huber (1957) synonymised all names under C. bulbosa Roxb. Ansari (1984) considered C. lushii and C. acuminata as conspecific and treated C. lushii as a variety ( var. lushii ) under C. bulbosa . He opined that this taxon can be distinguished by linear-lanceolate leaves with acute apex (as opposed to orbicularelliptic or oblong leaves with apiculate apex in var. bulbosa ). Meve (2002) opinioned that the leaf character has little value and the form with linear-lanceolate leaves may be considered as an ecotype. However, after thorough observations in the field and studies of herbarium specimens and taking consideration of the habitat preferences, C. lushii Graham is treated here as variety of C. bulbosa Roxb.