Ipomoea ternifolia Cav.

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

334. Ipomoea ternifolia Cav. , Icon. 5: 52, tab. 478. 1799. (Cavanilles 1799: 52)

Type.

MEXICO. Guerrero, Acapulco, L. Née s.n. (holotype MA654733).

Description.

Trailing or climbing annual or perennial herb, stems and vegetative parts glabrous or thinly pilose with scattered hairs. Leaves petiolate, 1-8 × 1-6 cm, palmately divided to the base into 5-11 leaflets, the principal leaflets variable in shape, usually oblong-elliptic, acute, narrowed at both ends, the two basal lobes 3-lobed to near base with two lobes smaller, having 7-11 segments in total; petioles 1-3 cm. Inflorescence of 1-3-flowered (often solitary) axillary cymes; peduncles 1-6 cm; bracteoles 1 mm, narrowly deltoid, caducous; pedicels 6-18 mm; sepals subequal, 6-11(-14) × 2-3 mm lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, acuminate to a fine point, bristly-pilose to subglabrous, margins white, scarious; corolla 1.5-4.5 cm long, funnel-shaped, pink, glabrous, limb 3-4 cm diam. Capsules depressed globose, 5-7 mm diam., glabrous, rostrate; seeds dark brown, 3-angled, 2-3 mm, puberulent.

Variation.

Ipomoea ternifolia is a variable species in habit and in the size and shape of the leaves, sepals and corolla. It is here divided into two geographical subspecies: