Ipomoea velardei O'Donell

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

311. Ipomoea velardei O'Donell , Bol. Soc. Peruana de Bot. 1: 6. 1948. ( O’Donell 1948b: 6)

Ipomoea velardei var. aequatoriana O'Donell , Lilloa 26: 395, t. 17. 1953. ( O’Donell 1953a: 395). Type. ECUADOR. Chimborazo: 1200 m, A.S. Hitchcock 20301 (holotype NY00319239; isotypes GH, US).

Type.

PERU. Lima, Tornamesa, Velarde Nuñez 1633 (holotype LIL001297).

Description.

Probably perennial twining herb with pilose to glabrescent stems. Leaves petiolate, 4-12 × 3-10 cm, ovate to suborbicular, acuminate to an acute or obtuse apex, mucronulate, base cordate with rounded auricles, sometimes with a lateral tooth, both surfaces nearly glabrous to pubescent; petioles 2.5-6 cm, pilose. Inflorescence of long-pedunculate cymes, often subumbellate in form; peduncles 8-20 cm, pilose; bracteoles 3-5 mm, linear; pedicels 5-32 mm, glabrous to pilose, widened upwards; sepals 6-7 mm, lanceolate to oblong, finely obtuse to acute and submucronate, margin white scarious, glabrous to pilose; corolla 2.5-4 cm long, funnel-form, bluish-purple with white tube, sericeous to pilose in bud or glabrous ( var. aequatoriana ), limb 2.5 cm diam. Capsules 10-11 × 3 mm, ovoid, rostrate (but soon deciduous), glabrous; seeds 5-5 × 2.5-3 mm, blackish, tomentellous.

Illustration.

Figure 152 .

Distribution.

A rarely collected plant of Peru and Ecuador, apparently growing in dry areas of the Andes below 2200 m.

PERU. Sine loc., Castelnau s.n. [6/1847] (P). Ancash: Santa Arriba de Lampanin, J. Mostacero et al. 1824 (FTG, MO). Cajamarca: Prov. Contumazá, Yetón, A. Sagástegui et al. 9716 (FTG, MO, OXF).

ECUADOR. Chimbarazo: Huigra, Rose & Rose 23818; F. de la Puente 1465 (CIP). Loja: between Catamayo and Loja, F. de la Puente 1255 (FTG, CIP); between Catamayo and Catacocha, P.M. Jorgensen et al. 1459 (LOJA, QCA); Sabanilla, B. Merino et al. 4895 (LOJA).

Note.

A poorly known and rather variable species distinguished (in the type variety) by its hirsute corolla and by the pilose sepals, stem peduncles and pedicels. In Ecuador the glabrous var. aequatoriana is most likely to be confused with Ipomoea dumetorum but lacks the distinctive dark glands on the sepals which are characteristic of that species. Molecular studies suggest var. aequatoriana is sister to Ipomoea meyeri . It is possible that var. aequatoriana and the typical variety represent different species but the lack of material renders it impossible to make an informed decision.

• Species 312-327. The Quamoclit Clade. Annual or perennial twining herbs, usually rather slender in habit; stem and leaves glabrous or thinly pubescent. Leaves variable in form, ovate, entire, 3-lobed, palmately divided, or pinnate. Flowers in pedunculate cymes (never solitary), bird-pollinated; bracteoles very small; sepals usually unequal, with a prominent subterminal abaxial awn (absent in I. quamoclit ); corolla always glabrous, hypocrateriform or suburceolate, always with a relatively long, subcylindrical tube and a spreading limb which may be entire, deeply lobed or much reduced; anthers usually exserted but sometimes ( I. rubriflora ) held at the mouth of the corolla. Ovary and capsule 4-locular and 4-seeded; seeds tomentellous, the hairs equal or unequal in length but long marginal hairs are always absent.

Species 321 to 327 are superficially very similar and have often been treated in the past as Ipomoea coccinea L. All are slender annual twining herbs with hypocrateriform red flowers and exserted or near exserted stamens. Several species are very similar, differing only in one or two characters ( I. cholulensis and I. indivisa , for example), so diagnostis descriptions only are provided in several cases so that species can be distinguished as clearly as possible.

This clade has long been accepted as a distinct group. Its most distinct features are the presence of an awn on the abaxial surface of the sepals and the 4-locular ovary.

Figures

Figure 152. Ipomoea velardei. A habit B habit C abaxial leaf surface D outer sepal E inner sepal F corolla opened out to show stamens G fruiting inflorescence H seed. Drawn by Rosemary Wise A-E, G, H from Benoist 4708; F from Castelnau s. n.