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| Ceropegia heidukiae D.Styles & Meve, in Styles et Meve. 2021. |
Abstract
A new species of Ceropegia (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae-Ceropegieae-Stapeliinae) is described from Ngome in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This new species shares a subset of vegetative and floral characters with the long-lost C. rudatisii, but is clearly separated by its sophisticated floral morphology. Ceropegia heidukiae occurs in Northern Zululand Mistbelt Grassland, an endangered vegetation type. A comprehensive species description is provided together with information on habitat and distribution; photographs of plants in habitat are also provided. A preliminary assessment of conservation status according to IUCN criteria suggests that C. heidukiae is Critically Endangered (CR).
Eudicots, Ceropegieae, endemism, geophyte, glaucous leaves, KwaZulu-Natal, Ngome, mistbelt grassland, trap flower
Ceropegia heidukiae
David G.A. Styles and Ulrich Meve. 2021. Ceropegia heidukiae (Apocynaceae-Asclepiadoideae)—a morphologically intriguing and rare novelty from South Africa. Phytotaxa. 497(1); 20–28. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.497.1.2
