Taxonomy of Vincetoxicum s.str. (Asclepiadoideae, Apocynaceae) from southern Asia including three new species and resurrected names

By

Shah, Sayed Afzal
Sultan, Amir
Wen, Jun
Ullah, Zahid
Nisa, Surat Un
Ren, Zhumei
Alam, Muhammad Maqsood
Iqbal, Javed
Mumtaz, Abdul Samad

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2021

Original Publication

PhytoKeys

Volume

179

Pages

35--73

Subjects

Afghanistan , asclepiads , endemic species , India , Pakistan , taxonomic revision , Tylophorinae , typification

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers [2010]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.179.62514

 

Abstract

This paper presents a taxonomic study of genus Vincetoxicum s.str. from southern Asia. Eleven regional endemic species are recognized on the basis of herbarium studies and fieldwork. Three new species are described: V. lenifoliumsp. nov. (endemic to Pakistan), V. stewartianumsp. nov. (endemic to India), and V. subcanescenssp. nov. (endemic to Pakistan, Kashmir and Tibet). Three species names, V. cabulicum, V. glaucum and V. kenouriense, previously treated as synonyms of V. glaucum, V. canescens and V. hirundinaria, respectively, are resurrected. A neotype is designated for the Afghani endemic V. cabulicum. A lectotype is chosen from the syntypes of V. glaucum. We resolve the long-standing taxonomic problems in three species complexes: V. arnottianum, V. luridum, V. sakesarense, and V. stocksii; V. glaucum, V. canescens and V. cabulicum; and V. hirundinaria and V. kenouriense. Geo-taxonomic distinctions of southern Asian taxa are highlighted by excluding from henceforth the long misrecognized western Eurasian taxa V. canescens and V. hirundinaria. Furthermore, a detailed account of the genus including illustrations of whole plants, leaves and corona, distribution maps, a taxonomic key, morphological descriptions, synonymy, notes, and information on phenology, distribution and habitats is provided. Finally, provisional conservation assessments are provided, which indicate that V. cardiostephanum and V. sakesarense are critically endangered.