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Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, Africa, Madagascar, reaching east to New Guinea and 
Northern Australia and west to the Canary Islands (with two species). The diversity 
within Ceropegia, its wide distribution, and the attractive flowers were and are 
fascinating. Many floristic, often geographically focused works, have been produced 
for places such as India (Hooker, 1883; Ansari, 1984), China (Li et al., 1995), Arabia 
(Bruyns, 1988), Madgascar (Meve & Liede, 1994), Southern Africa (Dyer, 1980), 
and Tropical East Africa (Masinde, 2012). Only one complete revision of the genus 
has been undertaken (Huber, 1957), although a wide-ranging treatment (lacking the 
non-succulent taxa) was published more recently by Meve (2002). China (Li et al., 
1995) and India (Ansari, 1984) are by far the diversity hotspots in Asia. Without doubt 
Asia is the centre of origin of Ceropegia (Bruyns et al., 2015; Meve et al., 2017). In 
Southeast Asia, however, the number of taxa is considerably lower. Myanmar has nine 
species, according to the last compilation by Kress et al. (2003) and the inclusion of 
Ceropegia farrokhii McCann in C. kachinensis Prain by Singh et al. (2015), and in 
Vietnam just three species are recorded (Costantin, 1912; Vietnam Plant Data Center: 
http://www.botanyvn.com). However, recent research on Ceropegia in Thailand has 
led to the discovery of numerous new species bringing the count for the country to 
ten (Kerr, 1951; Boonjaras & Thaithong, 2003; Meve, 2009; Kidyoo, 2014a, 2014b, 
2015a, 2015b; Kidyoo & Paliyavuth, 2017). Finally, in Laos, only one unidentified 
Ceropegia species has so far been recorded (Newman et al., 2007). Recent fieldwork 
in southern Laos by the first author has now led to the discovery of an unknown species 
of Ceropegia that is here described and illustrated as a new taxon. 
Taxonomy 
Ceropegia laotica Rodda & Meve, sp. nov. 
Similar to Ceropegia cochleata Kidyoo in trailing to twining annual growth habit, 
presence of small tubers, leaves more or less lanceolate and small, and in habitat 
preferences: sandstone rocks with sparse soil. Ceropegia laotica can be separated 
from C. cochleata because the former has corolla lobes broadly ovate and folded 
while the latter has corolla lobes long-tailed and twisted. - TYPE: Laos, Champasak 
Province, Paksong, Dong Hua Sao NBCA, Bolaven Plateau, Ban Hnongluang Wat, 
15°07'57"N 10°20'57"E, 1258 m, 23 October 2015, Rodda, M., Tan, L., Guglielmone, 
L., Peereman, J.M.E., Souvannaphou, S. & Soulimoungichoun, O. MR1418 (holotype 
SING; isotypes FOF, Herbarium of Pha Tad Ke Botanic Garden, TO). (Fig. 1, 2) 
Perennial climbing herb with 1 or 2 stems from the base, twining, with clear sap in all 
parts. Rootstock tuberous; tubers subglobose, slightly apically compressed, smooth, 
medium brown, 2-3 cm in diameter, with many additional, straight, fleshy roots. 
Stems rarely branched, terete, glabrous, to 2 m long, 1.5-2.5 mm in diameter, greenish 
red to maroon red; intemodes (3—)5—10(—15) cm long. Leaves spreading, petiolate, 
petiole terete, slightly channelled above, 5-7 x 1-1.5 mm in diameter, pubescent 
only above, trichomes curved, 100-200 pm long; lamina linear(-lanceolate), (4-)5- 
