Ceropegia khasiana (Apocynaceae: Ceropegieae), a new species from Meghalaya, Northeast India

Abstract

A new species of Ceropegia, Ceropegia khasiana Murug., A.A.Mao, Meitei & Kambale (Apocynaceae), is described and illustrated from Meghalaya, Northeast India. The new species is superficially similar to Ceropegia macrantha Wight but it differs in having fewer, shorter fascicled roots up to 8 cm long, linear-lanceolate leaves with long acuminate apices, smaller flowers up to 4.7 cm long, 12–18-flowered inflorescences with two flowers open at a time, two umbels per node, corolla tube pinkish outside with dark reddish stripes, reddish inside in mature flowers, greenish or pinkish to reddish at the apex of corolla lobes which are densely ciliate hairy, inflated base with reddish patch at middle, outer corona with very sparse small ciliate hairs, and each pair of follicular mericarps unequal in length.