New plant species discovered in SW China's Tibet

Scientists discovered a new species of Ceropegia in Shigatse in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region last year, according to the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Photo shows the Ceropegia jilongensis. (Photo courtesy of the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences)

It was spotted by a joint research team headed by Xing Yaowu, a researcher at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, during an investigation trip to collect specimens of vascular plant in Shigatse held from the middle of July to early August in 2021. The team collected an unknown species of Ceropegia in Jilong county of Shigatse. After an analysis of the species, a literature review and a comparison of specimens from similar species, the research team confirmed it as a new species, and named it Ceropegia jilongensis after its discovery site.

Ceropegia is a genus of plants within the family Apocynaceae that is native to Africa as well as tropical areas in Asia and Oceania. At present, there are 21 species of wild Ceropegia in China that are on record.