Format: ORAL

Siddharthan Surveswaran

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India

The open-flowered type of Ceropegia, formerly Brachystelma is a rare and elusive group of plants in India. Thy occupy the relatively dry habitats of peninsular India which is influenced by the highly seasonal monsoonal climate. The diversity of Brachystelma is about 35 species in peninsular India. Molecular phylogeny reveals that within the radiation of Ceropegia (tubular-flowered species). Brachystelma has evolved at least three times from closed tubular-flowered . In this study, I examine the distribution of the Indian open-flowered lineages based on the most up-to-date and comprehensive sampling of the genus. The diversity of the genus is linked to open grassland in the Eastern Ghat region of India. Using climatic niche modelling, I discuss the climatic requirements which might have led to the diversity of the open-flowered genotypes. Furthermore, using transcriptomic approaches, I examine the genes responsible for the shift from tubular flowers to open type flowers. I also discuss preliminary data on pollinators of Indian open-flowered genera of Ceropegia.