Cissus erecta S. H. Cho & Y. D. Kim 2016, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Cho, Seong-Hyun
name: Lee, Jung-Hoon
name: Kang, Dae-Hyun
name: Kim, Bo-Yun
name: Htwe, Khin Myo
name: Trias-Blasi, Anna
name: Kim, Young-Dong
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Vitales
Vitaceae
Cissus
Cissus erecta

description: Cissus erecta S.H. Cho & Y.D. Kim, sp. nov. (Figs. 1 & 2)
Diagnosis: Cissus erecta is similar to C. aubertiana in habit, but it is readily distinguished from the latter by its less deeply lobed (sinuses extending 1/5 to 2/5 of the distance to the vein junction) leaves with distinctly serrate margin, persistent stipules, and larger berries. This species is also similar to C. woodrowii in leaf shape, but it is distinguished from the latter by having a non-viny herbaceous habit, leaves with serrate margin, greenish and persistent stipules, a compound dichasium, and larger globose berries (Table 1).
Type:— MYANMAR. Mandalay: Popa Mountain Park, 20˚54’08.5”N, 95˚15’46.8”E, elev. 776 m, 23 July 2015, S.H. Cho et al. MM-5057 (holotype KB!; isotype HHU!, K!, RAF!).
Herbs, perennial, erect, 35–75 cm in height, hermaphrodite. Roots well developed vertically, 2–4 cm in diameter. Stem nearly terete with conspicuous longitudinal ridges, pubescent above the middle, glabrescent below the middle. Tendrils absent. Leaves simple, alternate; petiole 4.2–13.5 cm long, pubescent; stipules 2, triangular, 8.2–8.8 × 3.8–5.7 mm, apex acute, margin entire, greenish, puberulent, persistent; leaf blade orbicular, palmately 3–7-lobed (sinuses extending 1/5 to 2/5 of the distance to the vein junction), 14–29 × 15–36 cm, base cordate, apex acute, margin serrate, lobe tip mucronate, upper surface sparsely puberulent along the veins, lower surface pubescent, particularly densely pubescent at base of the midrib, basal veins 4–7, lateral veins 7–9 pairs, veinlets slightly raised. Inflorescence compound dichasium, axillary to pseudo-terminal, many-flowered, with bracts at nodes; bracts 2, triangular, up to 3.5 × 2.7 mm, apex acute, margin entire, puberulent, persistent; peduncle 3.5–10 cm long (up to 16 cm long when fruiting), secondary peduncle 2.0– 4.7 cm long, tertiary peduncle 1.3–2.9 cm long, puberulent; pedicels 3.8–5.0 mm long, ca 0.8 mm in diam., muriculate, becoming sparsely verrucate when fruiting, 8.1–13.6 mm long, 2.9–4.0 mm in diam.. Flowers 4-merous, actinomorphic, ca. 7.5 mm in diam., buds oval, yellowish red. Calyx subcupuliform, undulate, teeth inconspicuous. Petals valvate, triangular-ovate, thickened at the apex, 2.4–2.6 × 1.7–1.9 mm, glabrous, lower surface yellowish red, upper surface pale yellow, caducous; anthers 0.85 mm long, filament subulate, 1.3 mm long; disk undulately 4-lobed, 2.4 mm in diam.; ovary adnate with the disk, ca. 1.0 × 1.5 mm, glabrous; style conspicuous, terete, 0.8–1.0 mm long, 0.45 mm in diam., base slightly thick; stigma entire, subcapitate. Fruit a berry, globose, 8.2–8.5 mm in diam., 1-seeded. Seed ovate, 5.8–6.3 × 4.2–4.5 mm, smooth, with sparsely scattered dot or lacking, with inconspicuous raphe, ventral holes inconspicuously obovate to elliptic.
Distribution:— Cissus erecta is a rare plant only locally distributed in the Popa Mountain Park in central Myanmar, hence it is endemic to the region. Until now only three subpopulations, each consisting of 10 to 40 individuals have been discovered in the Park area.
It is therefore preliminarily classified as Vulnerable (VU) according to IUCN Red List criteria (IUCN 2001).
Ecology:—It grows in mixed forests [with Gmelina arborea Roxburgh (1814: 46), Holarrhena pubescens Wallich & Don (1837: 78), Pterospermum acerifolium Willdenow (1800: 729), Ziziphus oenopolia (Linnaeus 1753: 194) Miller (1768: Ziziphus No. 3)] on the southern slope (650–800 m) of the mountain. Flowering from July to August; fruiting from October to November.
Etymology:—The specific epithet of the new species refers to the erect, non-viny and herbaceous nature of the species.
Additional specimens examined (Paratypes):— MYANMAR. Mandalay: Popa Mountain Park, 20˚54′01.1″N 95˚15′44.3″E, 753 m, 30 July 2012, S.H. Cho et al. MM-1343 (HHU! 4 sheets); same locality, 20˚53′41.1″N 95˚14′29.9″E, 698 m, 26 October 2013, S.H. Cho et al. MM-2874 (HHU! 3 sheets); same locality, 20˚ 54′ 04.4″N 95˚ 13′ 57.5″ E, 670 m, 12 July 2012, Khin Myo Htwe 0166 (RAF!, HHU!).
description: Published as part of Cho, Seong-Hyun, Lee, Jung-Hoon, Kang, Dae-Hyun, Kim, Bo-Yun, Htwe, Khin Myo, Trias-Blasi, Anna & Kim, Young-Dong, 2016, Cissus erecta (Vitaceae), a new non-viny herbaceous species from Mt. Popa, Myanmar, pp. 291-295 in Phytotaxa 260 (3) on pages 291-294, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.260.3.9, http://zenodo.org/record/13671867