Ceropegia lodarensis (Lavranos) Bruyns var. foetida (Plowes) Alharbi & Al-Qthanin, 2021

Alharbi, Samah A. & Al-Qthanin, Rahmah N., 2021, Taxonomic revision of Ceropegia sect. Huernia (Asclepiadoideae, Apocynaceae) in Saudi Arabia with three new combinations, PhytoKeys 174, pp. 47-80 : 47

4.2 Ceropegia lodarensis (Lavranos) Bruyns var. foetida (Plowes) Alharbi & Al-Qthanin comb. nov. Figs 12 , 13 ; Map 5

Huernia foetida ≡ Huernia foetida Plowes, Asklepios 114: 9 (2012).

Type.

Saudi Arabia - Jazan • I. S. Collenette 3743 (holotype: K! [fl in spirit: 38892.000]); Jabal Fayfa , 80 km NE Jazan; 17°14.5296'N, 43°4.9368'E; alt. 1550 m; 31 Jul 1982 .

Description.

Branches up to 100 mm long; tubercles 7 mm long (including leaf-rudiment), 1.5 mm broad at base. Inflorescence bearing up to 4 flowers developing in gradual succession, flowers with very foetid odour; pedicel spreading and holding flower facing horizontally, tapering towards the point of flower attachment. Corolla 40 mm diam., campanulate; outside smooth, cream; inside cream with maroon dots changing to concentric short dashes in lower half of tube covered, except in lower third of tube with compressed conical papillae densely crowded and reach maximum size around mouth of tube (up to 1 mm long and 0.5 mm broad at base); tube 11 mm long, 10 mm broad at mouth, pentagonal; lobes spreading, deltoid, attenuate with deep groove at tip, intermediate lobes 1 mm long. Outer corona lobes 8 mm diam., five discrete rectangular lobes; inner lobes 3 mm long, 1 mm at base.

Distribution in Saudi Arabia.

Rare, known so far from Jabal Fayfa, 80 km NE Jazan, SW of the country ( Plowes 2012).

General distribution.

Probably endemic to SW Arabian Peninsula known so far from Saudi Arabia.

Habitat and ecology.

Occurs in granitic outcrops at 1550 m alt ( Collenette 1999).

Diagnosis.

Clearly distinct by its campanulate corolla that is dotted with maroon inside and has a very foetid odour when it opens.

Etymology.

Foetidus (Latin) smelly, for the strong, unpleasant smell of flowers.

Preliminary conservation status.

Ceropegia lodarensis var. foetida is estimated to have an EOO of 80.173 km 2 (which would place the species in Critically Endangered, CR) and AOO of 88 km 2 (which would place it in EN). The size of its populations and current threats are not well-known, but populations in mountainous areas in Saudi Arabia are likely impacted by agriculture, overgrazing, development and tourism. Therefore, Ceropegia lodarensis var. foetida should be considered Data Deficient ( DD).

Figures

Map 5. Distribution of Ceropegia lodarensis var. foetida.

Figure 12. Ceropegia lodarensis var. foetida (H. foetida) Jabal Fayfa, Type. Reproduced from Plowes (2012).

Figure 13. Ceropegia lodarensis var. foetida A branch B side view of dissected flower C face view of gynostegium D side view of gynostegium E papillae inside corolla in mouth of tube F pollinarium. Drawn from Collenette 3743, Jabal Fayfa.