Ceropegia malwanensis - Malwan Ceropegia

Malwan Ceropegia is an erect, perennial herb, 9-30 cm tall. Stem is round, 0-2-0-4 cm in diameter, usually unbranched, bristly. Leaves are stalkless or nearly so, lanceshaped or narrowly elliptic, 4-9 x 0- 5-2 5 cm, pointed. Flowering axis with internodes 1-3 cm long bearing flowers in whorls at each node. Flowering nodes with two opposite, subulate, reduced leaves, flowers 2 on either side of each reduced leaf, nodes 3-5 but usually 4-flowered; flowering nodes 3-7. Flowers are small, brown-black, bracteate. Flower-stalks are 3-5 mm long, finely velvet-hairy; bracts subulate, 1-2 mm long. Sepal-cup is 5-partite, sepals 1-2 mm long, finely velvet-hairy. Flowers are divided almost to base, dark purple and variously variegated within, greenish-purple outside, flower-tube short, about 1.5 mm long; petals broad at base, tapering at tip, fused or free, hairy on inner side, 0.6-1 cm long, flower hairs purple, flower margins recurved. Follicles are borne in pairs, 10-15 cm long, tapering at tip. Malwan Ceropegia is a very rare plant found in the Malwan region of Maharashtra. Flowering: April.