Ipomoea cynanchifolia Meisn. in Martius et al.

Wood, John R. I., Munoz-Rodriguez, Pablo, Williams, Bethany R. M. & Scotland, Robert W., 2020, A foundation monograph of Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) in the New World, PhytoKeys 143, pp. 1-823 : 1

231. Ipomoea cynanchifolia Meisn. in Martius et al. , Fl. Brasil. 7: 274. 1869. (Meisner 1869: 274)

Type.

BRAZIL. Minas Gerais, Lagoa Santa, E. Warming (lectotype BR000005951567, flowering portion on sheet, designated by O’Donell (1952: 218), isolectotype P).

Description.

Slender twining annual herb, nearly glabrous in all parts. Leaves petiolate, mostly 3-5.5 × 2-4.5 cm, ovate or shallowly 3-lobed, cordate with rounded to obtuse auricles, apex shortly acuminate, mucronate, adaxially thinly pubescent or glabrous; petioles 1.5-5 cm. Inflorescence of long pedunculate axillary umbelliform cymes with 2-5 flowers; peduncles 2-10 cm; bracteoles tiny, triangular, caducous; pedicels 5-15 mm; sepals subequal, oblong-obovate with broad scarious margins, rounded and mucronate, usually glabrous but occasionally ciliate; outer sepals 3.5-6 mm; inner sepals c. 1 mm longer; corolla 1.5-2.5 cm long, funnel-shaped, pink with a dark centre, glabrous, limb 1.5-1.75 cm diam., unlobed, sometimes dentate. Capsules 3-4 × 4 mm, ovoid, exceeding sepals, glabrous or thinly pilose, the slender style somewhat persistent; seeds 3-3.5 × 2.5 mm, ellipsoid, dark brown, glabrous.

Illustration.

Figure 118 .

Distribution.

This species is known from scattered locations in Brazil and Bolivia but may be under-recorded. It is a plant of the Cerrado biome, usually below 700 m in disturbed places usually near settlements or around rock outcrops.

BRAZIL. Bahia: 4 km N. of Bom Jesus da Lapa, R.M. Harley et al. 21572 (K). Dist. Fed.: Ramalho et al. 43 (UB); D. Alvarenga 701 (IBGE, OXF). Goiás: Niquelândia, F.C.A. Oliveira et al. (IBGE, OXF). Rio de Janeiro: A. Glaziou 14128 (K). Minas Gerais: Y. Mexia 4497 (BM, S). São Paulo: Mun. Eldorado, Est. Jacupiranga, Braidotti et al. 1 (SP, CTES).

BOLIVIA. Santa Cruz: Ángel Sandoval, 51 km S of Las Petas sobre el camino a Candelaria, J.R.I. Wood et al. 24871 (K, LPB, UB, USZ); Ascención de Guarayos, en camino a San Ramón, M. Mendoza et al. 2146 (K, USZ). Ibañez, Angostura, R. Steinbach 328 (NY, MICH). Ichilo, Reserva El Choré, G.A. Parada et al. 22 (OXF, MO, USZ); Ñuflo de Chávez, salida de Concepción, J.R.I. Wood et al. 24117 (K, LPB, UB, USZ); c. 25 km from Concepción along road to San Javier, J.R.I. Wood & D. Soto 27941 (USZ); Velasco, Reserva Forestal Bajo Paraguá, Cerro Diamentina, T. Killeen & J. Wellens 6343 (ARIZ, LPB, USZ, MO); 5 km N de San Miguel en camino a San Ignacio, J.R.I. Wood et al. 24284 (K, LPB, UB, USZ); Warnes, Las Barreras, F.E. Tollervey 2519 (K).

Notes.

Ipomoea cynanchifolia is very close to I. ramosissima and is only safely separable when good fruit is available. It is distinguished by the thinly pilose (rarely glabrous) ovoid capsules which are clearly visible above the fruiting calyx. The shape of the fruiting capsule is the decisive character as the capsule indumentum is not constant in the Batatas Clade. No secondary characters are reliable but it is noteworthy that most specimens cited above and by O’Donell (1952: 218) flower in the March-May period, much earlier than Ipomoea ramosissima .

Ipomoea cynanchifolia has the appearance of a hybrid between Ipomoea ramosissima and I. grandifolia but there is no molecular evidence to support this suggestion. It combines the characters of the two species and is more or less sympatric with the latter.

Figures

Figure 118. Ipomoea cynanchifolia. A habit B inflorescence C outer sepal D inner sepal E corolla opened out to show stamens F ovary and style G capsule. Drawn by Rosemary Wise from Y. Mexia 4497.