Ipomoea walteri J.R.I.Wood & Scotland, 2017

Wood, John R. I., Munoz-Rodriguez, Pablo, Degen, Rosa & Scotland, Robert W., 2017, New species of Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) from South America, PhytoKeys 88, pp. 1-38 : 30-32

Ipomoea walteri J.R.I.Wood & Scotland sp. nov. Figure 19

Diagnosis.

Ipomoea walteri is close to I. sericophylla but distinct because of the long-pedunculate lax inflorescence, adaxially nearly glabrous leaves and unequal sepals, the inner noticeably shorter than the outer. Particularly distinct are the strongly cuspidate leaves with a distinct apical mucro c. 3 mm long which is only matched in a few very different species, such as I. daturiflora Meisn.

Type.

BRAZIL. Goiás: Colinas do Sul, arredores da Serra de Jipe, 500 m, B.M.T. Walter, E. Gomes, G. Pereira-Silva & S. Pereira de Souza 4734 ( CEN58673 ) .

Description.

Liana of unknown height, stems thinly pubescent; leaves petiolate, 3-5 × 3.5-5.5 cm, ovate, apex obtuse and long-cuspidate (mucro c. 3-4 mm), base cordate with rounded auricles, adaxially very sparsely pubescent to subglabrous, abaxially grey tomentose, gland-dotted; petioles 2.5-3.5 cm. Inflorescence of long-pedunculate lax axillary cymes; peduncles 7-11 cm; bracteoles caducous, not seen, secondary peduncles 0.3-2.2 cm; tertiary peduncles c. 10 mm; pedicels 4-5 mm; sepals unequal, outer 11-12 × 8-9 mm, obovate-elliptic, rounded, thinly tomentellous; inner 8-9 × 6 mm, the central part densely tomentose, margins broad, glabrous, scarious; corolla 5.5 cm long, appearing broadly tubular but not fully open, probably funnel-shaped when open, pale pink; stamens unequal, longer c. 1.5-1.8 cm, shorter c. 1-1.2 cm; anthers 3 mm, included; style 2-2.3 cm, stigma bi-globose.

Distribution and habitat.

BRAZIL. Goiás. Known only from the type collection. It was recorded as growing in gallery forest. Figure 9 .

Conservation status.

Field notes give no data about the frequency of this species and in the absence of other collections or any information about threats to its habitat, it can only be classified as Data Deficient (DD) within IUCN guidelines. It would be treated as a "black star" species within the classification of Hawthorne and Marshall (2016), but again this must be considered a provisional classification as no systematic search has been made for the species at the type locality or in other suitable habitats, although it must be presumed to be rare.

Etymology.

This species is named after the collector Bruno Walter, who is a leading research worker for Embrapa at the Cenargen Herbarium in Brasilia and a specialist in the Flora of the Cerrado.

Note.

Although we have not been able to sequence this species, I. walteri clearly belongs to the large clade of around 70 species almost restricted to South America, which is characterised morphologically by the pubescent exterior of the corolla and the subequal, pubescent, ovate herbaceous sepals. The strongly cuspidate leaves with a distinct apical mucro are particularly distinctive.

Figures

Figure 9. Map of Eastern Brazil showing distribution of I. ensiformis, I. fasciculata, I. kraholandica, I. longirostra, I. revoluta, I. scopulina, I. veadeirosii, and I. walteri.

Figure 19. Ipomoea walteri. A habit B adaxial leaf surface C abaxial leaf surface D outer sepal E inner sepal. Drawn by Rosemary Wise from B. M. T. Walter et al. 4734.