Ceropegia kumaonensis Kamal Kishor, G.S. Rawat & S.S. Samant, 2022

Kishor, Kamal, Rawat, Gopal S. & Samant, Sher S., 2022, A New Species of Ceropegia L. (Apocynaceae) from Uttarakhand, Western Himalaya, India, Phytotaxa 571 (1), pp. 85-90 : 86-88

Ceropegia kumaonensis Kamal Kishor, G.S. Rawat & S.S. Samant sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–2 )

Ceropegia kumaonensis sp. nov. is closely related with Ceropegia attenuatula Bruyns (2017:429) and Ceropegia parvissima Bruyns (2017:430) , but differs in having fascicled cymes or umbel inflorescence, multiple drooping flowers per node, tubeless flowers with longer corolla lobes, deep purple corona, interstaminal corona regularly toothed at cupular region, inner or staminal corona covered up to half by purple fleshy mass of outer or interstaminal corona.

Type: — INDIA. Western Himalaya Uttarakhand, Almora, Bhikiyasain , Ghatti , June , 2021 K. Kishor-2512 (Holotype: BSD!, Isotype: WII!)

Perennial, erect tuberous herbs. Tubers sub-globose or flattened ca. 4–5 cm in diameter, resembling potato. Stems erect, unbranched or sparsely branched, 25–80 cm in height, 0.3–0.5 cm diameter; hypogeal part of the stem white, 1.5–3 cm deep, somewhat thicker and succulent; epigeal part purple to purplish green, pubescent when young, glabrescent on maturity, cylindrical, sometimes flattened towards terminal internodes; first internode short and underground, second and subsequent internodes successively longer, 8–15 cms length, terminal internodes shorter. Leaves, opposite, linear to linear-lanceolate, sessile and variable in size; basal ones small and scaly, 0.2–0.5 cm in length; upper leaves 3–10 × 0.2–0.3 cm, opposite, margins and midrib hairy and purple, upright, apex acute. Inflorescences extra axillary, sessile, fascicled cymes or umbellate with 2–20 flowers at each node. Flowers pendulous; pedicels 3–4 cm long with ca. 0.1 cm diameter, purple and hairy; sepals 5, minute, hairy, yellowish brown, fused at the base, acute, apex turned outward. Flower bud almost linear with slightly enlarged base, spirally twisted, greenish white, dark purple at maturity. Corolla as long as pedicels, 3–4 cm long, 5–lobed, lobes divided up to base, lobes at anthesis joined at tips to form ovoid cage with acute apex or reflexed, lobes slightly broader at the base, sub-cylindrical, acute to spatulate at apex, then linear, revolute, adaxially dark purple, densely hairy throughout. Corona ca 0.5 cm across, bi-seriate; staminal and interstaminal parts fused laterally to form shallow to form cup , ca. 0.5 cm across, slightly higher than gynostegium, dark purple in colour, shiny, attractive, hairy inside glabrous otherwise; staminal corona incumbent on anther sacs more than half the length of sacs, lanceolate, yellow with deep purple triangular covering by half length. Pollinia ovoid, yellow, attached to brown corpusculum by short caudicles. Follicles paired, rarely solitary, 8–12 × 0.2–0.3 cm, erect, shiny green, turning purplish on maturity, apex acute pinkish. Seeds comose, narrowly elliptic, ca. 10 × 2 mm, light brown at centre, curved, fragile; coma ca. 2.5 cm long, white.

Etymology:— The specific epithet “ kumaonensis ” is given based on the location of its type locality i.e., the Kumaon region of western Himalaya to which this species is endemic.

Flowering & Fruiting:— Flowering: mid April to June; fruiting May–June.

Habitat & Distribution:— Ceropegia kumaonensis grows mostly in open, relatively dry habitats along the edges of Chir pine ( Pinus roxburghii Sarg. ) forests having clayey-gravelly to loamy soils around 1250 m above mean sea level. So far it is known only from the type locality at Ghatti village in Almora District in Kumaon region, Western Himalaya and is therefore considered to be endemic to Kumaon region.

Conservation Status:— Ceropegia kumaonensis is so far known only from the type locality. About 150 individuals were located during the extensive survey of the Bhikiyasain and Bhatrojkhan blocks and other areas of Almora District . According to IUCN 2019 Red List Criteria , the species falls under the category Data Deficient (DD). Thorough surveys are required in adjacent districts of Uttarakhand ( Western Himalaya ) covering similar altitudes and habitats to ascertain its distribution, size of the population, area of occupance and threat status.

At the present locality most of the individuals were defoliated by an unknown caterpillar and most of leaves had small white eggs. Caterpillar defoliates the plants rapidly. Impact of this caterpillar on the natural populations is unknown. Frequent forest fires and habitat degradation are other possible threats to the species.

Discussion:— Ceropegia kumaonensis falls under section Tiloris Huber (1957: 33) which is characterized by short erect geophytic herbs with discoid tuber and corolla tube nearly absent, lobes free (occasionally rotate) or remaining joined at tips ( Bruyns 2017:429). This new species described here bears multiple flowers in fascicled cymes or umbellate inflorescences at each node and flowers have characteristic 3-4 cm long purple coloured ciliate corolla. This character of inflorescence is not shared by any species of reflex lobed Ceropegia reported from Northern India till date. However, this feature is shared by some reflex lobed Ceropegia species of South India. The corolla lobes of this taxon morphologically resemble with C. attenuatula and C. parvissima , having similar pattern of cilia, colour and reflex lobes. But it differs from these taxa having considerably longer height of plant, long leaves, umbel inflorescences with multiple flowers per node, flowers without tube, larger petals. These species also differ in several details of their coronas. The outer corona lobes in new species are regular toothed at cupular region while they are irregularly toothed in C. attenuatula and C. parvissima . The outer and inner corona lobes of new species also show variation in colour. The outer corona lobes are with deep purple, shiny flesh which covers inner yellow corona lobes up to half of length in triangular shape. This characteristic feature of new species is not shared by any reflex lobed Ceropegia . The morphological characters of reflex lobed Himalayan Ceropegia are compared in table 1.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ceropegia kumaonensis Kamal Kishor, G.S. Rawat & S.S. Samant a–c. Habit; d&e. Inflorescence and flowers; f. Follicles and seeds; g&h. Corona.

FIGURE 2. Ceropegia kumaonensis Kamal Kishor, G.S. Rawat, & S.S. Samant a. Habit b. Rootstock c–d. Stem with flower buds e. Flowering twig f. Flower g. Corona (Top view) h. Corona (Side view) Drawn from K. Kishor-2512 by Kamal Kishor.