Researchers from the Missouri Botanical Garden have discovered in dry forests and transient（短暂的） sand dunes² in Bolivia and Paraguay, a new plant species in the moonseed family Menispermaceae. The discovery was reported in the open access journal PhytoKeys. The new species was described in the genus Cissampelos, which includes vining species that for the most part are found in disturbed habitats of the tropical and subtropical regions of the World.

 

This new Cissampelos is morphologically unique by its small leaves, its 8 anther-cells in the male flowers, and a large endocarp（内果皮）-a bony tissue surrounding the curved seed-obscurely ornamented³.

 

The new species bears the name arenicola alluding⁴ to its preference for sand dune¹ and dry forest habitats. Interestingly, the new species is superficially similar in habit to C. capensis a southern African taxon that also found in dry habitats.

 

As typical of most members of the Menispermaceae family, plants in the genus Cissampelos are also dioecious（雌雄异体的）, with their male and female, mostly inconspicuous flowers found in different individuals.

 

The study by Dr. Rosa Ortiz and Dr. Michael Nee notes that the dioecious condition and increasing land transformation⁵ of its transient habitat may make this newly described species potentially vulnerable to extinction⁶.

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