Ceropegia gardneri Thwaites, Enum. Pl. Zeyl.

S. S., Kambale & Abstract, S. R. Yadav, 2019, Taxonomic revision of Ceropegia (Apocynaceae: Ceropegieae) in India, Rheedea 29 (1), pp. 1-115 : 77-82

Ceropegia gardneri Thwaites, Enum. Pl. Zeyl. 3: 199. 1860; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 4: 69. 1883; Trimen, Handb. Fl. Ceylon 3: 165.1895; Kambale & S.R.Yadav, Asklepios 115: 33. 2013.

C. elegans Wall. var. gardneri (Thwaites) H. Huber, Mem. Soc. Broter. 12: 73. 1957; H. Huber, Dassan. & Fosberg, Rev. Handb. Fl. Ceylon 4: 119. 1983. Type: Sri Lanka, s.loc., s.d., Gardner C.P. 2838 (holo PDA image!)

C. elegans auct . Ansari, Fasc. Fl. India 16: 14. 1984, non Wallich, 1830. Fig. 42

Perennial twining herbs. Rootstock fibrous or fascicled. Stem c. 4 m long, branched, glabrous. Lamina 3.6–8.7 × 1.0– 4.5 cm, gradually decreasing in size upwards, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate at apex, rounded-acute at base, ciliolate along margins and nerves beneath, glabrous otherwise; petioles 1–2.5 cm long, channeled above, ciliate along the margins and beneath; Cymes 2–3-flowered, extra-axillary; peduncles c. 7 mm long, terete, glabrous; bracts 2–25 cm long, linear-subulate; pedicels c. 1.4 cm long. Sepals 5–6 × c. 1 mm, subulate, sparsely hairy along the midnerve, glabrous otherwise. Corolla 3–4.2 cm long, white, blotched with purple; tube 2–3 cm long, slightly curved, dilated at base, cylindrical at middle, funnel-shaped at throat, glabrous, ring of downwardly directed hairs present at the mouth of dilated part of tube; hairs c. 2 mm long, unicellular conical, striated with deep purple lines within, colourless to deep purple, lobes c. 1.5 cm long, 1.5– 2.5 cm across, connate at tips forming ellipsoid cage, sparsely hairy at the tip and at the inner side, hairs c. 4 mm long, variously coloured, upper 1/3 rd green with purple margins, white blotched with purple veins at the middle. Corona bi-seriate, c. 4.5 × 3.5 cm; outer of 5-bifid lobes, saucer-bowl shaped, c. 3 × 3.5 mm, shorter than the inner, ciliate within; inner erect, c. 2.5 cm long, connivent, glabrous, yellow, blotched with purple at the base. Pollinarium c. 0.25 × 0.35 mm. Follicles c. 17.5cm long,terete.

Flowering: August–December.

Habitat: Plants grows along streams in the lateritic hill slopes in association with Disperis zeylanica Trimen , Ficus scandens Roxb. , etc.

Distribution: India (Karnataka) and Sri Lanka. Earlier it was reported to be endemic to Sri Lanka ( Huber, 1983; Bruyns, 1997). However, in the present study it has been collected from a few localities in South India (Karnataka) which forms a new distributional record for the species outside its type locality.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Karnataka, Chikmagalur district, Baba Budan Hills , 15.08.2010, S. S . Kambale & S. R . Yadav SUK 2554 ; Ibid. , 10.08.2011, S. R . Yadav & S. S . Kambale SUK 2555 ; 26.01.2012, S. S . Kambale 5277; Ibid. , 16.02.2013, S. R . Yadav & S. S . Kambale SSK 30 ( SUK!) .

Conservation status: Nayar and Sastry (1987) assessed the species as Vulnerable due to habitat loss. It is collected from a single locality in India and its presence outside this area is not known. The type collection is from Sri Lanka. Therefore it is treated as Data Deficient ( DD) .

Notes: Ceropegia gardneri is similar to highly variable C. elegans in having fibrous roots and 1–3-flowered cymes and often treated as one of the variants of the latter. Huber (1957) treated it as a variety under the latter, while Ansari (1984) recognized them as conspecific. However, this species can be distinguished by its linear-lanceolate leaves, corolla lobes sparsely ciliate at apex, corolla tube throughout purple within, outer corona shorter than inner and reddish pollinia. Based on these observations Kambale and Yadav (2012) resurrected this species from the synonymy of C. elegans Wall. Ansari (1984) cited C. gardneri as C. gardneri Thwaites ex Hook.f. The species was validly described by Thwaites (1860), the use of “ex” is incorrect. Hence, the species has to be cited as C. gardneri Thwaites.

Ceropegia intermedia Wight, Icon. Pl. Ind. Orient. 4: t. 1263. 1848 emend H. Huber, Mem. Soc. Brot. 12: 61. 1957; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 4: 71. 1883, p.p., Gamble, Fl. Madras 4: 858. 1921; K.M. Matthew, Fl. Tamil Nadu Carnatic 2: 937. 1983; B. D. Sharma et al., Fl. Karnataka, Analysis 166. 1984; Ansari, Fasc. Fl. India 16: 17. 1984; S.R. Sriniv. in Henry et al., Fl. Tamil Nadu, Ser I, Analysis 2: 83. 1987; Manilal, Fl. Silent Valley 177. 1988; H.O. Saxena & Brahmam, Fl. Orissa 2: 1088. 1995; K.M. Matthew, Fl. Palni Hills, S. India 2: 803. 1999; A.P. Jagtap & N.P. Singh, Fasc. Fl. India 24: 225. 1999; T.S. Nayar et al., Fl. Pl. Kerala 85. 2006; Karthik. et al., Fl. Pl. India 1: 162. 2009. Lectotype (designated by Ansari, 1984): INDIA, Tamil Nadu , Dindigul district , Serramalie (Sirumalai), s.d., R. Wight s.n. ( K000857809 image!). Fig. 43

Perennial glabrous twining herbs. Rootstock tuberous with small fascicled or fibrous roots. Stem c. 2 m long, slender, branched, glabrous. Lamina 4–11 × 1.2–3.5 cm, ovate-lanceolate, acute-acuminate at apex, rounded at base, hairy along margins and nerves beneath, glabrous otherwise, deep green above, pale below; petioles 1–1.8 cm long, channeled above, ciliolate along margins, glabrous otherwise. Cymes 2–5-flowered, extra-axillary; peduncles c. 1.5 cm long, glabrous; pedicels 1.5–1.7 cm long, glabrous. Sepals c. 4 mm long, more than half the dilated portion of tube, subulate, glabrous, purple tinge at apex. Corolla 1.9–2.6 cm long, purple; tube 1.5–2 cm long, curved, abruptly dilated at base, narrow at the middle, funnel-shaped at mouth, glabrous, greenish at the dilated base, purple otherwise; lobes 4–8 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, connate at tip forming ellipsoidovoid cage, lobes folded on their back, connate at middle, deep purple and hairy throughout at upper-half, faint at lower half. Corona bi-seriate; outer of 5 entire lobes, c. 1.5 × 2 mm, glabrous; inner of 5 erect, c. 1.5 mm long, spathulate-clavate lobes, opposite with outer corona. Pollinium c. 0.2 × 0.4 mm. Follicles 9.5–14 cm long, erect, tapering towards both ends, glabrous.

Flowering & fruiting: June–January.

Habitat: Grows along slopes, road-sides in evergreen forests.

Distribution: India (Kerala, Orissa, Tamil Nadu).

Specimens examined: INDIA, Kerala, Idukki district, Kulamavu , 03.10.1983, C. N . Mohanan 79958 ( CAL!); Palakkad district, way to Anavai , 09.11.1976, E . Vajravelu 48900 ( CAL!); Thiruvananthapuram district, Bodimettu , 12.1910, A . Meebold 13735 ( CAL!) . Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore district, Sholayar , 26.12.1963, K . Ramamurthy 18112 ( MH!); Dindigul district, Kodaikanal , 10.1946, J . Pallithanam 1995 ( RHT!); Kanyakumari district, Muthulkunzhi , 09.09.1976, A. N . Henry 48313 ( CAL!); Palni hills, 1897, A. G . Bourne 329 ( CAL!); Tirunelveli district, Sengaltheri , 19.09.1967, E . Vajravelu 29157 ( MH!) .

Conservation status: It is assessed as Vulnerable [ VN: B2 b (iii, v), c (iii, iv)].

Notes: Wight (1848) described C. intermedia based on the specimens collected from Sirumalai, Dindigul in Tamil Nadu. As opined by Huber (1957), this species is often confused with C. candelabrum . The outer corona (Wight’s illustration t. 1263) is completely glabrous rather than hairy at the base as stated in the description. Huber clarified the ambiguity in the circumscription and emended the description.

Ceropegia maculata Bedd., Madras J. Lit. Sci. Ser. 3(1): 52. 1864; Gamble, Fl. Madras 4: 859. 1921; H. Huber, Mem. Soc. Brot. 12: 176. 1957; Ansari, Fasc. Fl. India 16: 23. 1984; S.R. Sriniv. in Henry et al., Fl. Tamil Nadu Ind. Ser. I. Analysis 2: 84. 1987; M.P. Nayar & Sastry, Red Data Book Indian Pl. 2: 46. 1988; A.P. Jagtap & N.P. Singh, Fasc. Fl. India 24: 223. 1999; T.S. Nayar et al., Fl. Pl. Kerala 86. 2006; Karthik. et al., Fl. Pl. India 1: 162. 2009. (designated by Kambale & Yadav, 2015): INDIA, Tamil Nadu, Anaimalais (Anamallays), s.d., R.H. Beddome (CAL0000018018). Fig. 44

Perennial twining herbs. Rootstock with fibrous roots. Lamina 5.2–9.5 × 1.7–5 cm, ovate-lanceolate, acute-acuminate at apex, narrow at base, with glands at the base of lamina, punctate, glabrous above, ciliolate along nerves beneath and along margins; petioles 1.5–3.5 cm long, channeled above, pilose along margins. Cymes sub-umbellate, 7–15-flowered, extra-axillary; peduncles 1.4–2.5 cm long, slender, glabrous; pedicels 0.9–2 cm long. Sepals 2–5 mm long, subulate, glabrous. Corolla 1.9–2.1 cm long, pale greenish-purple; tube 1.3– 1.6 cm long, curved, dilated at base, ring of hairs at throat within; lobes 3–5 mm long, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, connate at tip forming ovoid cage, hairy, bluish-green. Corona bi-seriate; outer of 5 deeply bifid lobes, connate at tip, as long as inner, hairy at base; inner of 5 erect lobes, alternate with outer corona. Pollinarium c. 0.4 × 0.4 mm. Follicles 10–20 cm long, terete, thin.

Flowering & fruiting: June–February.

Habitat: Species found growing along shady slopes in forests.

Distribution: Endemic to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, India.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Kerala, Palakkad district, Palakkad , 02.09.2014, P . Kumar SSK 301 ( SUK!); Thiruvananthapuram district, Naduvengad , 29.11.1905, C. A . Barber 7166 ( MH!); Thrissur district , Peechi, 14.11.1989, N . Sasidharan 5514; Sholayar forest , 19.09.1983, N . Sasidharan 2954 ( KFRI!) . Tamil Nadu, Anaimalais hills, s.d., R. H . Beddome 26 ( CAL!) .

Conservation status: Nayar and Sastry (1987) assessed it as Endangered or possibly extinct however it has been collected from few places of South India. It is assessed as Critically Endangered [CR: B2 a, b (iii, iv, v), c (iv)].

Notes: Ansari (1984) treated C. maculata conspecific to C. parviflora Trimen , however, after examining the coloured drawing of C. parviflora by Trimen and critical analysis of the specimens, it is revealed that the former is distinct in having leaves narrow at the base, hairy corolla lobes and linear inner corona lobes (vs. leaves subcordate at the base, glabrous corolla lobes and spathulate inner corona lobes).

Figures

Fig. 42. Ceropegia gardneri Thwaites: a. Habit; b. Flower; c. Flower L.S.; d. Corona–lateral view; e. Corona–top view; f. Pollinarium.

Fig. 43. Ceropegia intermedia Wight: a. Habit; b–d. Inflorescences; e. Flower; f. Flower L.S. (Photos Navendu Page).

Fig. 44. Ceropegia maculata Bedd.: a. Habit; b & d. Flower; c & e. Flower L.S. (Photos Navendu Page).