Diversity of Diptera families that pollinate Ceropegia (Apocynaceae) trap flowers: An update in light of new data and phylogenetic analyses

Pollination by flies (Diptera) has been important to the diversification and ecology of the flowering plants, but is poorly understood in contrast to pollination by other groups such as bees, butterflies and birds. Within the Apocynaceae the genera Ceropegia and Riocreuxia temporarily trap flies, releasing them after a fixed, species-specific period of time, during which pollination and/or pollen removal occurs. This “trap flower” pollination system shows convergent evolution with unrelated species in other families and fascinated Stefan Vogel for much of his career, leading to ground-breaking work on floral function in Ceropegia (Apocynaceae). In this new study we extend the work of the latest broad analysis published by some of the authors (Ollerton et al., 2009 − Annals of Botany). This incorporates previously unpublished data from India and Africa, as well as recently published information, on the diversity of po llinators exploited by Ceropegia. The analyses are based on a more accurate phylogenetic understanding of the relationships between the major groups, and significantly widens the biogeographic scope of our understanding of fly pollination within Ceropegia. Information about the pollinators of 69 taxa (species, subspecies and natural varieties) of Ceropegia is now available. Twenty five families of Diptera are known to visit the flowers of Ceropegia, of which sixteen are confirmed as pollinators. Most taxa are pollinated by species from a single family. Overall, there were no major biogeographic differences in the types of Diptera that were used in particular regions, though some subtle differences were apparent. Likewise there were no differences between the two major clades of Ceropegia, but clear differences when comparing the range of Diptera exploited by Ceropegia with that of the stapeliads. This clade, one of the largest in the Asclepiadoideae, is a fascinating example of a species radiation driven by an apparently relatively uniform set of pollinators

The diversity and evolution of pollination systems in large plant clades: Apocynaceae as a case study

Background and Aims Large clades of angiosperms are often characterized by diverse interactions with pollinators, but how these pollination systems are structured phylogenetically and biogeographically is still uncertain for most families. Apocynaceae is a clade of >5300 species with a worldwide distribution. A database representing >10 % of species in the family was used to explore the diversity of pollinators and evolutionary shifts in pollination systems across major clades and regions. Methods The database was compiled from published and unpublished reports. Plants were categorized into broad pollination systems and then subdivided to include bimodal systems. These were mapped against the five major divisions of the family, and against the smaller clades. Finally, pollination systems were mapped onto a phylogenetic reconstruction that included those species for which sequence data are available, and transition rates between pollination systems were calculated. Key Results Most Apocynaceae are insect pollinated with few records of bird pollination. Almost three-quarters of species are pollinated by a single higher taxon (e.g. flies or moths); 7 % have bimodal pollination systems, whilst the remaining approx. 20 % are insect generalists. The less phenotypically specialized flowers of the Rauvolfioids are pollinated by a more restricted set of pollinators than are more complex flowers within the Apocynoids + Periplocoideae + Secamonoideae + Asclepiadoideae (APSA) clade. Certain combinations of bimodal pollination systems are more common than others. Some pollination systems are missing from particular regions, whilst others are over-represented. Conclusions Within Apocynaceae, interactions with pollinators are highly structured both phylogenetically and biogeographically. Variation in transition rates between pollination systems suggest constraints on their evolution, whereas regional differences point to environmental effects such as filtering of certain pollinators from habitats. This is the most extensive analysis of its type so far attempted and gives important insights into the diversity and evolution of pollination systems in large clades

Development and test of a 35 kA - HTS CroCo cable demonstrator

The answer to energy-efficient electric power transfer of high currents in the range of several tens of kA can be given by high temperature superconducting (HTS) cables. BSCCO and MgB2 have been used widely for such cables, reaching maximum currents of about 20 kA. REBCO coated conductors are promising for future HTS cables beyond 20 kA and allow the operation based on subcooled liquid nitrogen. Several cabling concepts based on REBCO tapes were developed world-wide to realize such cables. Using the stacked-Tape concept, a scalable semi-industrial process was developed by KIT, called HTS CrossConductor (HTS CroCo). Key aspects of the conceptual design of high-current HTS cables are discussed and the design of a 35 kA DC cable demonstrator made from HTS CroCo strands is presented. Aspects regarding joints, current redistribution between individual strands and electrical stabilization are highlighted. The performance of this demonstrator cable was tested, reaching the envisaged current

HTS CroCo - A Strand for High Direct Current Applications

High temperature superconductors (HTS) are discussed as energy-efficient solutions for applications needing high direct currents beyond 10 kA e.g. for large high-field magnets or bus bar systems in industrial electrolysis plants. A number of high-current cable concepts based on REBCO tapes were developed such as the Roebel cable, co-axially wound tapes and several stacked-tape arrangements, among them the HTS CrossConductor (HTS CroCo), a stacked-tape conductor with high current density developed at KIT. In this manuscript, the experimental test of a high DC demonstrator, termed Supra-DC-Cable, made from twelve HTS CroCo strands is presented. The demonstrator was tested successfully at T = 77 K, reaching the expected critical current of 33 kA at 77 K and even for a constant-current operation at 36 kA for more than 30 minutes limited by the copper connections, not the superconducting cable. Currents and voltages were measured in all twelve strands individually during the parallel operation in the cable. These measured data allow the experimental validation of the modelled current distribution, based on the individual characterization of the twelve strands

Antibody concentrations decrease 14-fold in children with celiac disease on a gluten-free diet but remain high at 3 months

Background & Aims Celiac disease can be identified by a serologic test for IgA against tissue transglutaminase (IgA-TTG) in a large proportion of children. However, the increased concentrations of antibody rarely normalize within the months after children are placed on a gluten-free diet (GFD). Early serologic predictors of sufficient adherence to gluten-free diet are required for optimal treatment. Methods In a prospective study, we observed the response to a GFD in 345 pediatric patients (67% girls; mean age, 8.4 y) who underwent duodenal biopsy to confirm or refute celiac disease from October 2012 through December 2015. Baseline serum samples were tested centrally for IgA-TTG and IgG against deamidated gliadin. Follow-up serologic analyses of children on a GFD were performed about 3 months later. Results The geometric mean concentration of IgA-TTG decreased from 72.4-fold to 5.2-fold the upper limit of normal (ULN), or by a factor of 14.0 (95% CI, 12.0–16.4). A substantial response (defined as a larger change than the typical variation in patients not on a GFD) was observed in 80.6% of the children. Only 28.1% of patients had a substantial response in the concentration of IgG against deamidated gliadin. Concentration of IgA-TTG remained above 1-fold the ULN in 83.8% of patients, and above 10-fold the ULN in 26.6% of patients with a substantial response. Conclusions Serum concentration of IgA-TTG decreases substantially in most children with celiac disease within 3 months after they are placed on a GFD, but does not normalize in most. This information on changes in antibody concentrations can be used to assess patient response to the diet at short-term follow-up evaluations. Patients with a substantial response to a GFD often still have high antibody levels after 3 months. German Clinical Trials Registry no. DRKS00003854

Ceropegia dodomaensis Heiduk & D. Styles 2023, nom. nov.

<i>Ceropegia dodomaensis</i> Heiduk & D.Styles, <i>nom</i>. <i>nov</i>. <p> Replaced synonym: <i>Brachystelma tanzaniense</i> Peckover (as “ <i>tanzaniensis</i> ”), CactusWorld 37(1): 28 (2019).</p> <p> Type:— TANZANIA. Dodoma Region: Mount Mangaliza (north of Mbuyuni), 09 January 1999, <i>R.Peckover 298</i> (holotype PRU).</p> <p> Blocking name: <i>Ceropegia tanzaniensis</i> Peckover, CactusWorld 37(3): 174 (2019).</p>Published as part of <i>Heiduk, Annemarie & Styles, David G. A., 2023, Ceropegia strophanthiflora (Apocynaceae-Asclepiadoideae) - a magnificent and rare new species from South Africa at the brink of extinction, pp. 27-37 in Phytotaxa 632 (1)</i> on page 33, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.632.1.2, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10435118">http://zenodo.org/record/10435118</a&gt

Ceropegia strophanthiflora Heiduk & D. Styles 2023, sp. nov.

<i>Ceropegia strophanthiflora</i> Heiduk & D.Styles, <i>sp. nov.</i> (Figs.1, 2, 3C,E,G). <p> <b>Type:</b> — SOUTH AFRICA. KwaZulu-Natal: inland of Mtubatuba, <i>ca</i>. 160 m, 08 November 2019, <i>D.G.A. Styles & A. Heiduk 5773</i> (holotype NU! [NU0094577]).</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis:</b> — <i>Ceropegia strophanthiflora</i> differs from <i>C. rehmannii</i> by longer petioles up to 4 mm long (vs. ± 1 mm in <i>C. rehmannii</i>), usually 2-flowered inflorescences (vs. generally 4-flowered in <i>C. rehmannii</i>), centrally purple flowers (vs. centrally creamish-yellow in <i>C. rehmannii</i>) with greenish-yellow, purple speckled corolla lobe bases (vs. dark purplish-maroon in <i>C. rehmannii</i>) and purple vibratile trichomes on margins of the corolla lobe bases (vs. glabrous in <i>C. rehmannii</i>). Corolla lobe tips are more slender, much longer (15–27 mm vs. 10–25 mm in <i>C. rehmannii</i>), reflexed and twisted (vs. usually straight and held upwards in <i>C. rehmannii</i>). The gynostegial corona of <i>C. strophanthiflora</i> has thick, rectangular staminal lobes (vs. linear in <i>C. rehmannii</i>) exceeding the anthers (vs. not exceeding anthers in <i>C. rehmannii</i>), lacks distinct interstaminal corona lobes (vs. present in <i>C. rehmannii</i>), and is glabrous throughout (vs. with tufts of white hairs on interstaminal lobes in <i>C. rehmannii</i>).</p> <p> <b>Description:</b> —Perennial herb. <i>Tuber</i> 60–80 mm in diam., <i>±</i> 50 mm high. <i>Stems</i> 1–2, sub-erect or spreading, to 135 mm tall, <i>±</i> 2 mm in diam., branched at first or second internode, annual, green, hirsute to puberulous, internodes 13–18 mm long. <i>Leaves</i> ovate to broadly lanceolate, 25.5–51.5 × 14.0– 22.5 mm, apex obtuse to acute, petiole 2–4 × 1.5 mm; lamina hirsute above and below; leave margins brownish, undulate, puberulous. <i>Inflorescences</i> extra-axillary, 1–2 flowered; <i>bracts</i> 1.7–2.0 mm long, narrowly triangular; <i>flowers</i> with foul scent reminiscent of dung, anthesis 1–2 days. <i>Pedicel</i> in <i>±</i> 90° angle from stem, <i>±</i> 5.5–8.0 × 1.3 mm, green often with brownish-purplish colourations, hirsute to puberulous. <i>Sepals</i> narrowly lanceolate, 5.5–6.5 × 1.5 mm, green often with brownish-purplish colourations, puberulous, ascending along the corolla base with often incurved tips. <i>Corolla</i> open-rotate, <i>±</i> 52 mm in diameter. <i>Corolla tube</i> shallowly campanulate, ± 4.5–6.5 mm deep, <i>±</i> 13 mm in diam., proportionally 1/5 or less of total corolla length, inside dark purple-brownish with darker spots, glabrous; outside brownish-purplish, scabrid. <i>Corolla lobes</i> spreading to reflexed, <i>±</i> 4–5 times longer than tube, 15–27 mm in total length; <i>corolla lobe bases</i> 5.5–6.0 mm broad at base, 5.5–6.0 mm long, keeled from about half way, basally ovate-triangular, distally attenuate-tapering, merging into slender corolla lobe tips, lush green to greenish-yellow, dark-green or purple speckled, margins revolute, margin brownish-purple and densely fringed with filiform-subulate, purple vibratile trichomes of 1.5–2.0 mm length, otherwise glabrous above, scabrid below; <i>corolla lobe tips</i> confluent with lobe bases, caudate, slender, narrowly lanceolate, <i>±</i> 15–17 mm long, revolute, slightly longitudinally furrowed, twisted, yellowish-green, glabrous above, puberulous below. <i>Gynostegium</i> sessile, dark purple throughout, robust and fleshy-sturdy. <i>Gynostegial corona</i> 4.7–5.5 mm in diam., <i>±</i> 2.5 mm high, of complanate staminal and interstaminal parts, <i>interstaminal corona lobes</i> joined forming a cup with V-shaped thick margin, lobules reduced to obtuse bulges, confluent with inner lobes, glabrous; <i>staminal corona lobes</i> broadly linear-oblong, <i>±</i> 2.5–3.0 × 0.6 mm, appressed to and arising along the anthers and stamen, with slight groove at their base, descending on style-head, not totally covering the latter, tips sometimes bilobed, partly overlapping irregularly, glabrous. <i>Pollinarium</i> with broadly ovoid pollinia tapering towards corpusculum, <i>±</i> 450 × 380 µm, yellowish, with narrow insertion crest <i>±</i> 250 µm long and 50 µm broad; caudicles <i>±</i> 100 µm long; corpusculum sagittate, <i>±</i> 390 × 215 µm, reddish brown. <i>Follicles</i> usually with both mericarps developed, erect, narrowly fusiform tapering at the tip, <i>±</i> 80 mm long and 6 mm in diam., glabrous. <i>Seeds</i> linear-oblong, flattened, with broad margin, comose, coma white, <i>±</i> 1 cm long.</p> Additional material examined <p> <i>Ceropegia strophanthiflora</i>:— SOUTH AFRICA. KwaZulu-Natal: inland of Mtubatuba, <i>ca</i>. 158 m, 28 November 2020, <i>D. G. A. Styles</i> & <i>A. Heiduk 6142</i> (flowers in ethanol NU! [NU 0094579]).</p> <p> <i>Ceropegia rehmannii</i>:— SOUTH AFRICA. KwaZulu-Natal: Umgungundlovu District, north of Wartburg, <i>ca</i>. 735 m, 26 October 2020, <i>D. G. A. Styles & A. Heiduk 6141</i> (NU! [NU 0094578]).</p> <p> <b>Distribution and habitat:</b> — <i>Ceropegia strophanthiflora</i> occurs in an area of transition from Zululand Coastal Thornveld to Zululand Lowveld and falls within the south-western edge of the Maputaland Centre of Plant Endemism. These vegetation types are described in Mucina & Rutherford (2006), where assessed as Endangered and Vulnerable respectively (Rutherford <i>et al.</i> 2006). South Africa’s 2018 National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA), which treated ecosystem types according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) Framework (Bland <i>et al</i>. 2017), reassessed them as Critically Endangered and Least Concern respectively (Skowno <i>et al</i>. 2019). Subsequently, Zululand Coastal Thornveld was declared a Critically Endangered ecosystem in the Revised National List of Threatened Ecosystems (South African Government 2022), where it is stated that it is “narrowly distributed with high rates of habitat loss in the past 28 years (1990–2018), placing the ecosystem type at risk of collapse”.</p> <p> The population of <i>Ceropegia strophanthiflora</i> occurs within the grassland component of a thicket and grassland mosaic which appears to have been relatively protected from grazing and browsing by livestock. Review of aerial imagery and follow-up visits to the type locality indicate that the vegetation is infrequently burnt and the grassy growth may remain moribund for many years. Consequently, grassland habitat at the type locality is experiencing a significant degree of bush encroachment, with problem species including <i>Dichrostachys cinerea</i> (Linnaeus 1753: 520 [no. 25]) Wight & Arnott (1834: 271), <i>Lippia javanica</i> Sprengel (1825: 752) and the weedy herb <i>Helichrysum kraussii</i> Schultz ‘Bipontinus’ (1844: 679). It is additionally invaded by the alien invasive species <i>Chromolaena odorata</i> (Linnaeus 1759: 1205) R.M.King & H.Robinson (1970: 204), <i>Lantana camara</i> Linnaeus (1753: 627) and a <i>Eucalyptus</i> L’Héritier (1788: 18) species. Interventions are urgently needed to protect the population and must include destroying woody and scrubby encroachers (requiring both cutting and use of herbicide), alien plant control and regular burning.</p> <p> The most common constituents of bush clumps and thicket within the habitat are the following shrubs or small trees: <i>Coddia rudis</i> (E.Meyer ex Harvey 1859: i 22) Verdcourt (1981: 509), <i>Diospyros dichrophylla</i> (Gandoger 1918: 56) De Winter (1963: xxvi. 75), <i>Euclea daphnoides</i> Hiern (1873: 102), <i>Gymnosporia maranguensis</i> Loesener (1908: 303), <i>G. senegalensis</i> (Lamarck 1785: 661) Loesener (1893: 541) and <i>Scutia myrtina</i> (Burman f. 1768: 60) Kurz (1876: 168). Some are spiny and most are likely unpalatable or toxic to livestock. <i>Aloe parvibracteata</i> Schönland (1907: 139) is also quite common. Less often encountered are <i>Acacia nilotica</i> (Linnaeus 1753: 521) Willdenow ex Delile (1813: 79), <i>Grewia occidentalis</i> Linnaeus (1753: 294), <i>Hippobromus pauciflorus</i> Radlkofer (1895: iii, 5), and <i>Trichilia emetica</i> Vahl (1790: 31). Herbaceous species co-occurring with <i>C. strophanthiflora</i> include <i>Acrotome hispida</i> Bentham (1848: 436), <i>Stylosanthes fruticosa</i> (Retzius 1779–1791: Fasc. v. 26) Alston (1931: vi. suppl., 77), <i>Crabbea hirsuta</i> Harvey (1842: 27), <i>Gnidia capitata</i> Linnaeus (1782: 224), <i>Justicia anagalloides</i> T. Anderson (1863: 42), <i>Macledium zeyheri</i> (Sonders) S.Ortiz subsp. <i>argyrophullum</i> (Oliver 1884: t. 1461) S. Ortiz (2001: 743), <i>Thunbergia atriplicifolia</i> E. Meyer (1847: 226), <i>Vernonia natalensis</i> Schulz ex Walpers (1843: 947), and <i>Waltheria indica</i> Linnaeus (1753: 673).</p> <p>The type locality is situated within a larger natural area enclosed by a patchwork of informal settlement, next to which the heavy utilization of veld by cattle and goats has reduced much of the grass cover to near lawn-like consistency. While there is still some herbaceous grassland plant diversity, this tends to comprise unpalatable or very low-growing species. It is nonetheless possible that some plants could still occur here, but these conditions are not conducive to long-term survival.</p> <p>A further issue highlighted is expansion of coal mining inland of Mtubatuba in future. Mining may displace existing settlement, and by providing improved access and temporary economic and employment opportunities, promote new and increased settlement with all of its accompanying impacts. This can transform potential habitat and unless it is well managed and mitigated cause further encroachment on the type locality.</p> <p> <b>Phenology:</b> — <i>Ceropegia strophanthiflora</i> was seen in flower between November and January. Fruits were seen in January.</p> <p> <b>Etymology:</b> —The specific epithet ‘ <i>strophanthiflora</i> ’ refers to the unusually long, caudate and twisted, reflexed corolla lobes reminiscent of flowers found in the genus <i>Strophanthus</i>.</p> <p> <b>Conservation status:</b> — <i>Ceropegia strophanthiflora</i> is only known from the type locality which lies within a highly transformed area. Not more than 10 individuals were found to occur at this locality. The habitat is critically threatened by grazing, poor fire-management of grassland, bush encroachment and above all by continuing and expanding settlement and accompanying disturbance. We explicitly recommend that the conservation status of <i>C. strophanthiflora</i> is declared to be Critically Endangered (CR) under Criteria B 1(a)(b), C2(a)(i) and D (IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee 2019). This species appears to be at the brink of extinction and there is a dire need to protect this exceptionally rare species, including from unscrupulous private collectors.</p>Published as part of <i>Heiduk, Annemarie & Styles, David G. A., 2023, Ceropegia strophanthiflora (Apocynaceae-Asclepiadoideae) - a magnificent and rare new species from South Africa at the brink of extinction, pp. 27-37 in Phytotaxa 632 (1)</i> on pages 28-33, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.632.1.2, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10435118">http://zenodo.org/record/10435118</a&gt

Ceropegia cordiloba Werdermann

<i>Ceropegia cordiloba</i> Werdermann, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 70(2): 209 (1939). <p> Basionym: <i>Ceropegia papillata</i> N.E.Brown var. <i>cordiloba</i> (Werdermann) H.Huber, Mem. Soc. Br. 12: 152 (1957).</p> <p> Type:— TANZANIA. Songea District: Matengo Hills at Litembo, 1500–1600 m, 20 April 1939, <i>H.Zerny 438</i> (holotype B †; lectotype P [P00109660], designated here).</p> <p> <i>Ceropegia tanzaniensis</i> Peckover, CactusWorld 37(3): 174 (2019), <i>syn. nov.</i> Type:— TANZANIA. Njombe Region: Mlangali village, February 2015, <i>R.Peckover 291</i> (holotype PRU).</p> <p> <b>Notes:</b> —Still following the traditional genus concept in Ceropegieae, <i>Ceropegia dodomaensis</i> was originally described in <i>Brachystelma</i> as <i>B. tanzaniensis</i> (correctly “ <i>tanzaniense</i> ”), but in accordance with the current proposals to consider <i>Brachystelma</i> as belonging to <i>Ceropegia</i> (Bruyns <i>et al</i>. 2017; Endress <i>et al</i>. 2018; Goyder <i>et al</i>. 2020), the transfer of this taxon to <i>Ceropegia</i> has become necessary. Curiously, shortly after publishing <i>B. tanzaniense</i>, Ralph Peckover himself published another name, i.e., <i>Ceropegia tanzaniensis</i> Peckover (2019b: 174), for a taxon from Tanzania, which he placed in <i>Ceropegia</i> based on its kettle-trap flowers typical for <i>Ceropegia</i> s.str. In consequence, this name is no longer available for the transfer of <i>B. tanzaniense</i> to <i>Ceropegia</i>. We therefore here propose the new name <i>C. dodomaensis</i> referring to the area where the type specimen was collected. Based on its vegetative (fleshy, disc-like single tuber, short erect stems) and floral characters (short corolla tube, spreading corolla lobes), <i>C. dodomaensis</i> clearly belongs in section <i>Chamaesiphon</i>.</p> <p> It appears that the blocking name for the transfer of <i>Brachystelma tanzaniense</i>, i.e., <i>Ceropegia tanzaniensis</i>, was superfluously created as the material described under this name belongs to the already existing taxon <i>C. cordiloba</i> Werdermann (1939: 209) —thus, <i>C. tanzaniensis</i> is reduced to a synonym of this species. <i>Ceropegia cordiloba</i>, described by Erich Werdermann in 1939, was not accepted as a species by Huber (1957) who treated it as <i>C. papillata</i> var. <i>cordiloba</i> (Werderm.) Huber (1957: 152) in his revision of <i>Ceropegia</i>; also, Bruyns <i>et al</i>. (2017) did not accept the species status of this taxon. However, <i>C. cordiloba</i> (incl. <i>C. tanzaniensis</i>) was recollected several times over the last years, and these recollections show little variation and do not differ from the type collection of 1939. The broadened and roof-shaped fused corolla lobe tips are an unmistakable distinguishing feature of this Tanzanian endemic. We therefore follow the proposal by Masinde in Goyder <i>et al</i>. (2012: 236) that <i>C. cordiloba</i> is indeed a good species and hereby reinstate it as such. Finally, lectotypification becomes necessary because the holotype was destroyed in Berlin (B). The duplicate specimen lodged in Paris (P) is the only available type material and has to serve as lectotype.</p> Additional material examined <p> <i>Ceropegia cordiloba</i>:— TANZANIA. Dodoma Region: Mpwapwa District, Rubeho Mts, Wotta Forest Reserve, 22 March 2017, <i>A.Hemp 6777</i> (UBT).</p>Published as part of <i>Heiduk, Annemarie & Styles, David G. A., 2023, Ceropegia strophanthiflora (Apocynaceae-Asclepiadoideae) - a magnificent and rare new species from South Africa at the brink of extinction, pp. 27-37 in Phytotaxa 632 (1)</i> on pages 33-34, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.632.1.2, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10435118">http://zenodo.org/record/10435118</a&gt

Ceropegia rudatisii Schlechter 1907

<i>Ceropegia rudatisii</i> Schlechter (1907: 94). (Figs. 1 & 2). <p> <b>Type:</b> — SOUTH AFRICA. KwaZulu-Natal Province: Alexandra-County, kurz begraste Weiden bei Fairfield, alt. c. 700 m, December 1905, <i>H. Rudatis 203</i> (Holotype: B, destroyed).</p> <p> <b>Neotype:</b> — SOUTH AFRICA. KwaZulu-Natal: District Alexandra, Station Dumisa, Farm Friedenau, Fairfield, alt. 700 m, 28 February 1908, <i>H. Rudatis 500</i> (K000305620; designated by Huber (1957: 135); isoneotypes: GH00076275; BM000645910).</p> <p> Perennial erect herb. <i>Rootstock</i> producing a cluster of fleshy fusiform roots up to 130 mm long and 4.5–6 mm thick; latex clear. <i>Stems</i> single, rarely two from rootstock, unbranched, annual, green, fleshy, glabrous, 300–500 mm tall, ca. 4 mm in diameter; internodes 20–40 mm long. <i>Leaves</i> ascending to suberect, shortly petiolate; petiole 1.5–2.6 mm long, glabrous; lamina ovate, 39.5–67.5 × 16.5–39.5 mm, flatly spread out, slightly fleshy, fairly stiff, base obtuse, apex acute to acumen, glabrous, blueish-green with thin purple margin, glaucous, with 4–5 lateral nerves. <i>Inflorescences</i> extra-axillary, sessile at youngest node, uniflorous, with single bract 2–4 mm long, lanceolate, acute; <i>pedicel</i> erect, 50– 53 × 1.5–2.0 mm, green, fleshy, glabrous. <i>Calyx</i> lobes narrowly lanceolate, 8.5–18.5 × 0.9–1.1 mm, ascending, acute, pale green, glabrous, about at least 1/2 as long as corolla tube inflation (ostiolum). <i>Flowers</i> with musty-acidic petrollike scent, anthesis c. 3-4 days. <i>Corolla</i> upright or held at a ca. 45° angle from stem, slightly curved from basal inflation (ostiolum), 56.5–85.0 mm in total length; corolla tube 33–48 mm in total length, slightly longitudinally furrowed throughout with furrows being more prominent at mouth; outside glabrous, green merging into purple colouration above ostiolum, and again greenish at throat; inside glabrous smooth throughout; ostiolum whitish with longitudinal purple stripes, stripes thinner at transition to tube; tube dark purple merging into whitish with dark purple coloured reticulation towards throat; ostiolum cylindrical to ovoid, 11.5–21.5 × 5.0–6.0 mm; tube cylindrical, 15.5–24.0 mm long, centrally ca. 2.7 mm in diam.; apical section of tube (mouth) slightly funnel-shaped, 5–7 mm wide. <i>Corolla lobes</i> confluent with the tube, 28.0–43.0 mm in total length, <i>corolla lobe bases</i> short and narrowly strut-like, 2.0– 3.5 mm long, leaving 1.5–2.0 mm wide oval openings between each other, greenish but dark purple at upper sections and with dark-purple recurved margins, <i>corolla lobe tips</i> subulate, 27.5–34.5 × 2.5–3.0 mm, flaccid-pendulous, folded backwards along midrib, exposed upper surface lush green and densely pilose throughout, basally with vibratile trichomes at margins, trichomes clavate, pendulous, 3–4 mm long, purplish. <i>Gynostegium</i> shortly stipitate, dark purple throughout and only basally incl. stipe whitish or whitish and dark purple speckled. <i>Gynostegial corona</i> 3–4 mm in diam., of staminal and interstaminal parts, <i>interstaminal corona lobes</i> joined to form a cup, lobes deeply bifid, lobules ca. 0.8 mm long, small triangular to falcate with the tips spreading, margins pilose with spreading translucent-white trichomes 0.5–1.0 mm long, <i>staminal corona lobes</i> erect, linear, 2.5–3.0 × ca. 0.4 mm, parallel to each other with only the tips slightly recurved, purple, sometimes with whitish tips, glabrous. <i>Pollinarium</i>: pollinia broadly ovoid, ca. 350 × 250 μm, yellow, with rounded insertion crest ca. 150 μm long; caudicles ca. 50 μm long; corpusculum obclavate, but distally oblate and centrally slightly compressed, ca. 205 × 100 μm, reddish brown. <i>Ovaries</i> narrowly conical, ca. 2.2 × 0.5 mm, glabrous. <i>Follicles</i> with two mericarps developed, erect, linear, slightly longitudinally furrowed, 180–210 mm long and 5–7 mm in diam., glabrous. <i>Seeds</i> linear-oblong, 12 × 5–6 mm, flattened, with broad margin, ca. 1.3 mm wide; coma 50–55 mm long, white.</p>Published as part of <i>Heiduk, Annemarie, Styles, David G. A. & Meve, Ulrich, 2021, Long-lost Ceropegia rudatisii (Apocynaceae-Asclepiadoideae) - Rediscovered and redescribed after 100 years, pp. 123-130 in Phytotaxa 498 (2)</i> on page 124, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.498.2.5, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/5424167">http://zenodo.org/record/5424167</a&gt

Ceropegia gilboaensis Heiduk, N. R. Crouch & D. Styles 2023, sp. nov.

<i>Ceropegia gilboaensis</i> Heiduk, N.R.Crouch & D.Styles <i>sp</i>. <i>nov</i>. (Figs 3, 4 A−E, 5A) <p> <b>Diagnosis:</b> —Plants of <i>Ceropegia gilboaensis</i> are perennial tuberous succulents with a prostrate growth habit, ovate to elliptic leaves, verrucose follicles, and a cylindrical-campanulate corolla, that can be separated from <i>C</i>. <i>ngomensis</i> (Figs 1I, 5B) in lacking the distinctly keeled or fluted corolla lobe bases that embed the gynostegium forming a characteristic 5-star shaped corolla mouth in <i>C</i>. <i>ngomensis</i>. The basally fused corolla lobes of <i>C</i>. <i>gilboaensis</i> have transverse burgundy bands but are purple-mottled in <i>C</i>. <i>ngomensis</i>. In <i>C</i>. <i>gilboaensis</i>, the inner corona lobes are adpressed to the back of the stamens along their full length and closely proximate to subconnivent over the style-head, whilst in <i>C</i>. <i>ngomensis</i> they are short and only adpressed to the base of the stamens. The outer corona lobes are deeply bifid in <i>C</i>. <i>gilboaensis</i> but undivided to form five cups with incurved margins in <i>C</i>. <i>ngomensis</i>.</p> <p> <b>Type:</b> — SOUTH AFRICA. KwaZulu-Natal, the Karkloof, Mt Gilboa, <i>ca</i>. 1620 m, 12 November 2020, <i>D</i>. <i>G</i>. <i>A</i>. <i>Styles & A</i>. <i>Heiduk 5841</i> (holotype; NU0092539!).</p> <p> <b>Description:</b> —Perennial dwarf herb. <i>Root</i> a subterranean tuber, 20–40 mm in diameter, <i>ca</i>. 20 mm high, somewhat depressed on upper side, rounded below. <i>Stems</i> 1 or 2, up to 150 mm long, produced annually, branched sparingly at base, slender, creeping, prostrate, shortly pubescent. <i>Leaves</i> in 3–6(–8) pairs, shortly petiolate (to 1.7 mm long), lamina elliptic-ovate, 10–12 × 7–9 mm, ciliate with white hairs along the thin often purplish margins, pubescent above and below, venation prominent on lower surface and recessed on upper surface, basally rounded, apically acute. <i>Flowers</i> 1(–2) lateral at nodes, open in succession, with pungent fetid, slightly acidic-fecal floral scent; pedicels slender, pubescent, 6–7 mm long. <i>Sepals</i> narrowly triangular, 2.2–3.7 mm long, sparsely pubescent. <i>Corolla</i> steep cylindricalcampanulate, <i>ca</i>. 13–14 mm across, corolla lobes spreading, divided into fused and unfused section ± halfway; tube 4.5–6.3 mm deep, velvety, glabrous (rarely with sparse white trichomes on margins of corolla lobe tips), cream within with raised, transverse burgundy bands that proximally are more entire than distally; lobes narrowly triangular, 3.3–5.4 mm long, keeled, concave above, proximally cream with raised burgundy striations, distally velvety and brownish-red to rarely olive-green. <i>Gynostegium</i> sessile, glabrous, dark purple. <i>Gynostegial corona</i> 3.6–4.4 mm in diam., 2.0– 3.1 mm high, of staminal and interstaminal parts, <i>interstaminal (outer) corona lobes</i> joined to form a cup with V-shaped outer margin, deeply bifid, lobules <i>ca</i>. 0.3 mm long, falcate, inclined towards the inner lobes; <i>staminal (inner) corona lobes</i> adpressed to stamina along their entire length and incumbent on style-head, linear, <i>ca</i>. 1.7 × 0.3 mm, apices inclined over the staminal column, closely proximate to subconnivent. <i>Pollinarium</i> pollinia sagittate, <i>ca</i>. 450 × 400 μm, brownish, insertion crest <i>ca</i>. 250 μm long, stramineous; caudicles <i>ca</i>. 90 μm long; corpusculum sagittate, <i>ca</i>. 315 × 140 μm, brown. <i>Follicle</i> with both mericarps developing, erect, <i>ca</i>. 40–45 mm long and 4 mm at widest point, verrucose, green flecked with purple, maturing to purple-brown. <i>Seeds</i> ovate-elliptic, <i>ca</i>. 6 × 2 mm, brown, comose, coma <i>ca</i>. 7 mm, white.</p> Additional material examined: <p> <i>Ceropegia gilboaensis</i>: SOUTH AFRICA. KwaZulu-Natal, the Karkloof, Mt Gilboa, <i>ca</i>. 1630 m, 03 April 2022, <i>D</i>. <i>G</i>. <i>A</i>. <i>Styles & A</i>. <i>Heiduk 6032</i> (NU 0092540!; fruiting material).</p> <p> <b>Distribution and ecology:</b> — <i>Ceropegia gilboaensis</i> is to date known only from the Karkloof in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, South Africa. It is the only representative of the genus documented from the Karkloof, and is considered endemic there, at elevations of 1320−1670 m. This new species is found within grassland, growing exposed in shallow soil on the margins of, and in between, dolerite rock outcrops. Common grasses at the sites include <i>Aristida junciformis</i> Trin. et Rupr. (1842: 143) and <i>Sporobolus natalensis</i> (Steudel 1855: 154) Durand & Schinz (1894: 822). Associated herbaceous species include <i>Aloe neilcrouchii</i> Klopper & Smith (2010: 95), <i>Crassula dependens</i> Bolus (1881: 391) and <i>Ledebouria sandersonii</i> (Baker 1870: App. 5) Venter & Edwards (2003: 50).</p> <p> The national vegetation map shows that <i>C</i>. <i>gilboaensis</i> occurs in Midlands Mistbelt Grassland and Mooi River Highland Grassland (South African National Biodiversity Institute 2006 –2018). In this area, Midlands Mistbelt Grassland appears to have been mapped as occurring below a contour approximating an elevation of 1500 m, and Mooi River Highland Grassland above this. However, this likely represents an over-simplification of the floristics in contact areas, where <i>C</i>. <i>gilboaensis</i> occurs just above 1500 m.</p> <p> Midlands Mistbelt Grassland is described as “forb-rich, tall, sour <i>Themeda triandra</i> [Forsskal (1775: 178)] grasslands transformed by the invasion of native Ngongoni grass (<i>Aristida junciformis</i> subsp. <i>junciformis</i>). Only a few patches of the original species-rich grasslands remain.” (Mucina <i>et al</i>. 2006: 422). This vegetation type is “Endangered (one of the most threatened vegetation types of KwaZulu-Natal)” according to Mucina <i>et al</i>. (2006: 423). Furthermore, the Mistbelt of KwaZulu-Natal has been identified as an important centre of endemism (Mucina <i>et al</i>. 2006), although not yet formally recognized as such (Mucina <i>et al</i>. 2006; Van Wyk & Smith 2001). More limited floristic information is provided on Mooi River Highland Grassland, which is also considered threatened, but with the status of Vulnerable rather (Mucina <i>et al</i>. 2006).</p> <p> <b>Phenology:</b> —Seen in flower from October to December, and in fruit from January to April.</p> <p> <b>Etymology:</b> — <i>Ceropegia gilboaensis</i> is named for the type locality at Mt Gilboa in the Karkloof, SouthAfrica, where it was discovered in 2008 by Isabel Johnson, a field botanist, ecological consultant and dedicated conservationist.</p> <p> <b>Conservation Status:</b> — <i>Ceropegia gilboaensis</i> is only known from two localities 7.5 km apart from each other. At each locality, plants were observed within an area of less than 1 km 2. However, a study of aerial imagery indicates that within the surrounding landscape there may be a further 35 km 2 of similar habitat in which <i>C</i>. <i>gilboaensis</i> could potentially occur. The total number of plants is estimated at less than 250 individuals. The grassland habitat at one of the two localities suffers from the trampling effects of cattle, but does not otherwise appear to be under anthropogenic threat. The species’ conservation status is suggested as Endangered (EN) under IUCN criteria B2(a)(b)(iii) and D (IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee 2019).</p>Published as part of <i>Heiduk, Annemarie, Crouch, Neil R. & Styles, David G. A., 2023, Ceropegia gilboaensis (Apocynaceae), a new species from the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, pp. 125-136 in Phytotaxa 591 (2)</i> on pages 129-133, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.591.2.4, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/7797469">http://zenodo.org/record/7797469</a&gt