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| syn. - |
| distribution:
India: Ahmednagar District, Pune District / Maharashtra |
| In the wild
this species can be found in 1200 to 1300 m above sea level. It is an erect growing herb with an subterranean tuber. The unbranched stem is herbaceous, almost succulent and pubescent. The broad ovate leaves haven an about 1,5 cm long petiole, they are 5,5 cm long and almost exactly as wide. The upperside of the leaf is pubescent. The flowers stand in few flowered cymes in the upper part of the stems. The lower part of the flower is only very slightly swollen and almost indistinguishable from the flower tube, this again is broadened up upwardly and merge with the quite broad petals, which are united at the tip. The colouration of the flower is a gently snow-white on the outside, the dark rubin colour on the lower half of the flower's inside shines through and can be seen on the outside. The flowering takes part from July to September, fruits are produced from September to October. The tubers of this species are edible. The local name of the species is Kharpudi (in Marathi). Ceropegia rollae is in acute peril of becoming extinct, the only known range of distribution of that species is only 8100 qm large, and the complete number of plants is estimated to ca. fifty to seventy-five plants. This species, together with Ceropegia maccannii, Ceropegia panchganiensis and Ceropegia sahyadrica, was assigned as a synonym to Ceropegia lawii by U. Meve (2002), but according to recent (2009) molecular analyses all five formes represent independent species. |
 left:Ceropegia rollae Photo: mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Jean-Noel Labat http://www.mnhn.fr |
| References: - Focke Albers; Ulrich Meve: Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Asclepiadaceae; Springer (November 4, 2002) - Siddharthan Surveswaran; Mayur Y. Kamble; Shrirang R. Yadav; Mei Sun: Molecular phylogeny of Ceropegia (Asclepiadoideae, Apocynaceae) from Indian Western Ghats. Plant Systematics and Evolution 281:1-4, 51-63 (2009) |