Ceropegia decidua
Ceropegia decidua is a species of the subfamily of milkweed plants ( Asclepiadoideae ).
- 4.1 Literature
- 4.2 Notes and references
Description
Appearance and leaf
Ceropegia decidua is a perennial herbaceous plant. As Überdauerungsorgan a slightly flattened, spherical with a diameter of 3 to 6 cm root tuber is formed. Occasionally, secondary tubers above the main tuber are formed. Every year a shoot axis per tuber is newly formed ever. The only at the base very slightly branched stem axis wind and climb only slightly; they are sparsely hairy, measuring 1-2 mm in diameter and up to about 40 cm long. The leaves are short-stalked. The fleshy leaf blades are broadly ovate to lanceolate, with a length of about 2 cm and a width of about 1 cm. The leaves are hairy with bristly and void; they usually fall off before the onset of anthesis.
Inflorescence and flower
The only short -stalked inflorescence contains only two to four flowers. The flowers within an inflorescence open one by one. The flower stems are relatively short with a length of up to 10 mm. The hermaphrodite flowers are zygomorphic and fünfzählig double perianth. Five sepals are lanceolate with a length of about 2 mm. The upright corolla is 2.2 to 2.6 cm long. The five petals are fused in about three quarters of the length to a straight or only slightly curved outwardly smooth corolla tube ( Sympetalie ). The " Kronkessel " is egg-shaped and measures 5 to 7 in length and 3.5 mm in diameter. The corolla tube is externally brownish in color. The " Kronkessel " inside is greenish- purple and provided with papillae. The actual corolla tube is narrowed above the Kronkessel to 2 mm in diameter and expands the mouth of the corolla tube hardly; this is hairy inside. The upright Kronblattzipfel are linear - spathulate and 4 to 6 mm. The corners are bent only at the center along the longitudinal axis to the outside. The tips are fused together to form a cage-like, egg-shaped structure whose upper end is flattened; they are in purple, and the edges are occupied purple hair. The sessile Nebenkrone is fused cup-shaped at the base and has a length of 2.5 mm and a diameter of 2.5 mm also. The tip of the interstaminalen Nebenkrone are too deep, transformed egg-shaped pockets, which pages are the base of the staminal corona grown. You stand upright, tower over the Gynostegium and are at the upper end blunt triangular; the upper edge is frequently scored. The tip of the inner staminal corona are about 2 mm long, spoon-shaped stand upright and then tilt together. The tips are slightly bent back again. The pollinia measure 0.25 mm in diameter.
Fruit and seeds
The follicles are slender at a spindle- length of 5 to 6 cm and a diameter of 2 to 3 mm. Information on seeds are not available.
Similar Species
The corolla of Ceropegia decidua resembles the corolla of Ceropegia occulta.
Dissemination
The distribution area of Ceropegia decidua spans the South African provinces of Gauteng and Northern Cape to Swaziland. The subspecies of Ceropegia replaced decidua subsp. pretoriensis the subspecies Ceropegia decidua subsp. decidua in Gauteng.
System
The first description of Ceropegia decidua was made in 1951 by Eileen Adelaide Bruce in the 6th volume of the journal Bothalia, p 213
It is a variable species of the currently two subspecies are described valid:
- Ceropegia E.A.Bruce decidua subsp. decidua
- Ceropegia decidua subsp. pretoriensis R.A.Dyer. This subspecies differs from the nominate in that they tend to be smaller (up to 25 cm) and only weakly twining. The leaf blades are ovate to elliptic, pointed, and only up to 1.5 cm long and 1 cm wide. The inflorescence usually consists of only one to three petals and the sepals are more triangular. The corolla tube of 2 to 2.4 cm length slightly smaller on average. The " Kronkessel " is more spherical and measures 3.5 x 3.5 mm; the papillae on the inside are a little coarser. The actual corolla tube is somewhat more concentrated (up to 1.5 mm diameter). The Kronblattzipfel are linear. The basal lamina of the tip along the center rib are bent back at the ends of virtually not. They form an egg-shaped, the end rather conical cage. The tip is purple at the base to the ends to greenish and glabrous. The bowl-shaped corona is in the supervision of pentagonal and 2.5 x 2.5 mm smaller. The tip of the interstaminalen Nebenkrone are transformed into flat, issued bags and so long as the Gynostegium. The edges are horizontal and are smooth. The tip of the staminal corona are 1.5 mm shorter.