Ceropegia juncea Roxb., Pl. Coromandel

S. S., Kambale & Abstract, S. R. Yadav, 2019, Taxonomic revision of Ceropegia (Apocynaceae: Ceropegieae) in India, Rheedea 29 (1), pp. 1-115 : 88-90

Ceropegia juncea Roxb., Pl. Coromandel 1: 12, t.10. 1795; Dalzell & A. Gibson, Bombay Fl.

153. 1861; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 4: 68. 1883; T. Cooke, Fl. Bombay 2: 240. 1905; H. Huber, Mem. Soc. Brot. 12: 61. 1957; 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: 18. 1984; S.R. Sriniv. in Henry et al., Fl. Tamil Nadu Ind., Ser I, Analysis 2: 83. 1987; Yadav et al., J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 86: 481. 1990; Hanumanthappa in Pull. & Moulali, Fl. Andhra Pradesh 2: 585. 1997; K.M. Matthew, Fl. Palni Hills, S. India 2: 803. 1999; A.P. Jagtap & N.P. Singh, Fasc. Fl. India 24: 227. 1999; M.R. Almeida, Fl. Maharashtra 3 A: 233. 2001; F. Albers & Meve, Ill. Handb. Succ. Pl. Asclepiadaceae 84. 2002; T.S. Nayar et al., Fl. Pl. Kerala 85. 2006; Karthik. et al., Fl. Pl. India 1: 162. 2009; Kambale & S.R. Yadav, Asklepios 115: 35. 2013. Lectotype (designated by Huber, 1957): Roxb., Pl. Coromandel 1: 12, t. 10. 1795. Fig. 47

Vernacular names: Kanvel (Marathi), Jettlli, Jakili (Kannada), Bella gada, Pullam thige (Telugu).

Perennial extensively twining, occasionally repent, succulent herbs, with reduced tubers. Stem c. 3 m long, succulent, branched, glabrous, reddishgreen. Leaves sessile; lamina 0.8–1.6 × 0.18–0.3 cm, ovate-lanceolate, reduced, scaly, caducous, fleshy, glabrous. Cymes sub-umbellate, 2–5 (–10)-flowered, extra-axillary; peduncles 0.3–1 cm long, terete, glabrous; bracts 1.6–2 × 0.25–0.32 mm, subulate, glabrous; pedicels 5–9 mm long, terete, glabrous. Sepals 5–5.2 mm long, acute, glabrous. Corolla 4.2–6.4 cm long, yellowish-green; tube 2.8–3.8 cm long, curved almost right angle to the pedicels, dilated at base, funnel-shaped at throat, hairy within near the throat, ring of hairs at the throat of dilated portion, blotched with purple outside; lobes 5, linear, 2.2–2.5 cm long, connate at tip forming conical cage, hairy along margins and within (hairs 5 mm long, purple) above the middle, greenish-yellow at lower half, dull brownbrown at upper-half. Corona bi-seriate, 5–5.5 × 4–4.5 mm; outer of 5-bifid lobes, bowl-shaped, ciliate along margins and within; inner of 5 erecto-divergent lobes, 3.5–4 mm long, hairy at the base, yellow at the tips, purple otherwise. Pollinarium c. 0.3 × 0.3 mm. Follicles in pairs, usually unequal, 6.7–9 cm long, acute at apex, slightly curved and swollen at the tips, glabrous. Seeds comose; coma c. 2 cm long, silky white.

Flowering & fruiting: July–November.

Chromosome number: 2 n = 66 ( Navaneetham, 1981).

Habitat: Occurs in dry deciduous forests in association with Canthium sp. , Capparis aphylla, Roth , Prosopis juliflora DC. etc.

Distribution: India (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu) and Sri Lanka.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Andhra Pradesh, Anantapur district, Kalasamudram Reserve Forest , 13.10.1984, T . Pullaiah & E . Cheeranjiv 2866; Rayadurg forest , 14.08.2011, B. R . Rao & A . Narayanaswamy 35550 ( SUK!); Chittoor district, Kambakkam , 29.11.2007, M. V . Suresh Babu & VSR 31147 ( SUK!); Prakasam district , Papinenipalli, 06.12.2007, B . Sadasivaiah & S. K . Basha 30498 ( SKU!) . Karnataka, Bagalkot district, Badami , 09.1910, A . Meebold 11365( CAL!); Belgaum district, Gokak , 31.08.2010, S. S . Kambale & A. N . Chandore SUK 2565 ; Yaragatti , 09.10.2014, S. S . Kambale & S. R . Yadav SSK 324; Ibid. , 24.08.2014, S. S . Kambale & S. R . Yadav SSK 310 ( SUK!); Dharwad district, Dharwad , 25.09.1889, W. A . Talbot s.n. ( BSI!); East Karnataka, Kamlaruva shola forest, 22.10.1975, N. P . Singh 140841 ( BSI!); Hassan district, Belavathally forest , 10.06.1969, C. J . Saldanha 13752 ( CAL!) . Kerala, Idukki district, Alampatty, Marayur Range , 28.11.1979, Nambiar 1066 ( KFRI!) . Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore district, Coimbatore, 29.01.1943, s.coll. s.n.; Marudamalai hills, 13.02.2013, S. S . Kambale SSK 29 ( SUK!); Nellimalai Reserve Forest , 16.10.1962, K . Ramamurthy 14782; Palamalai , 05.09.1969, M. V . Vishwanathan MVV 104; Pollachi, Padmnabhapuram , 13.09.1976, K . Swarupanandan CU 13679 ; Thekkumalai , 19.11.1956, K. M . Sebastine 1378; Kamaraj district, Thaniparai , 30.03.1994, S. P . Subramani 48 ( FRLH!); Kanyakumari district, Perunchilambu , 08.12.1980, M. S . Swaminathan 68980 ( MH!); way to Wattakotta , s.d., S. B., A. F. S. K. & C. M. U . 18317 ( FRLH!); north Arcot district, Karanapoondi village , 07.10.1978, E . Vajravelu 55993 ( MH!); Ramanathapuram district , Kamuthakudi, 16.11.1989, V . Balasubramanian 2244; Tirupathur , 20.12.1964, K . Ramamurthy 22804 ( MH!); Salem district, Woddapatti Reserve Forest , 28.11.1964, E . Vajravelu 21987 ( MH!); South Arcot district , s.loc., 04.09.1899, C. A . Barber 767 ( MH!); Tirunelvelli district, Tenkasi , 03.11.2014, S. S . Kambale SSK 331 ( SUK!); Tiruvannamalai district, Thanagoundanpudur , 06.09.2001, R. V . Shankar 73579 ( FRLH!) .

Conservation status: It is a widely distributed species and represented by sufficient number of individuals in all populations. It is assessed here as Vulnerable [ VN: B2 b (iii, iv, v) c (iii, iv)].

Notes: The leaves being scaly and caducous often appears leafeless. It is restricted to drier parts of Peninsular India. It closely resembles C. distincta N.E. Br. , an African species in its succulent habit.

Figures

Fig. 47. Ceropegia juncea Roxb.: a & b. Habit; c & d. Flower; e–g. Flower L.S.; h. Corona–lateral view; i. Follicle.