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Type: Article
Published: 2018-06-22
Page range: 117–125
Abstract views: 34
PDF downloaded: 1

Vincetoxicum luridum (Asclepiadeae, Asclepiadoideae, Apocynaceae), a new and long misunderstood endemic species from Balochistan, Pakistan

Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University; Islamabad, Pakistan
National Herbarium, National Agriculture Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan
Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, United States
Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University; Islamabad, Pakistan
School of Geography and Life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, China
Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University; Islamabad, Pakistan
Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University; Islamabad, Pakistan
Revision Stocks Tylophorinae Wight Eudicots

Abstract

We here describe a new species, Vincetoxicum luridum, from South West Balochistan. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of leaves and seeds, palynology and chorology support the recognition of V. luridum. The lurid appearance, dense pubescence and ovate corona lobes readily distinguish V. luridum from the closely related species V. stocksii which is endemic to North East Balochistan. We illustrate V. luridum, and confirm the significance of corona morphology for classification of Vincetoxicum in Pakistan. Presently, the V. arnottianum complex comprise four species with purple flowers viz., V. arnottianum, V. sakesarense, V. luridum and V. stocksii. In this study we also present the geographic distribution and a taxonomic key to the taxa of V. arnottianum complex.