The striking flower of Ceropegia meveana. Photo by Simon Attwood
A new flowering plant species, now named Ceropegia meveana, was discovered in the southeastern reaches of the Barberton Centre of Plant Endemism in Eswatini. The discovery was documented in a research paper published in the journal Phytotaxa.
The plant was found in December 2024 by Simon Attwood, an artist and passionate plant enthusiast from White River, South Africa, during a hike in a nature reserve in Eswatini. “When I initially spotted this plant, I was struck by its bizarre appearance. Luckily, I had enough time to snap a few pictures of it and record the location before a storm blew in and chased us off the mountain. It was only after returning to South Africa and sharing pictures of the plants with the Mpumalanga Plant Specialist Group that I learnt it was a new species,” Simon said.
The photos captured the attention of Annemarie Heiduk and David Styles from the Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Alongside Sigrid Liede-Schumann from the Department of Plant Systematics at the University of Bayreuth, Germany, they formally described and named the species.
The genus Ceropegia, belonging to the plant family Apocynaceae, comprises approximately 360 species exhibiting diverse forms—ranging from climbers to trailers and slender, upright plants like Ceropegia meveana. This species is unique as the first member of the Ceropegia section Bowkeriana in Eswatini to feature kettle-trap flowers. Plants in this section are characterized by erect stems, which may vary from robust with broader leaves to delicate with narrow leaves.
The corolla lobes densely covered with hairs. Photo by Simon Attwood. Simon in the veld
The authors highlighted a fascinating characteristic of Ceropegia meveana: the corolla lobes are densely covered with hairs resembling animal fur. These lobes tremble in response to air movement, potentially enhancing the flowers’ visual appeal to flies, their primary pollinators. While most Ceropegia species rely on floral scent to attract pollinators, Ceropegia meveana emits a strong fragrance reminiscent of overripe bananas.
This rare plant is currently known only from its initial discovery site, where no more than 15 individual plants were recorded. It has been assessed as Critically Endangered. The species thrives within the KaNgwane Montane Grassland, a vegetation type extending into the southern part of the Barberton Centre of Plant Endemism. This grassland is classified as Endangered due to extensive habitat loss. The discovery of Ceropegia meveana underscores the ecological richness of the Barberton Centre of Plant Endemism and the urgent need for its conservation.
The species was named in honour of Dr. Ulrich Meve of Münster, Germany, in recognition of his significant contributions to the taxonomy of the Apocynaceae family, particularly within the tribe Ceropegia.
