Ipomoea eremnobrocha D.F. Austin

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

176. Ipomoea eremnobrocha D.F. Austin , J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 12: 145. 1997. (Austin 1997: 145), emend. J.R.I. Wood & Buril (Wood et al. 2017b: 5)

Type.

PANAMA. Cerro Campana, A. Gentry 5759 (holotype cited from MO and isotype cited from FAU, but both missing).

Description.

Perennial climber or liana of unknown height but reaching at least several metres high, stems twining, somewhat woody below, herbaceous above, thinly pubescent when young, glabrescent, pale brown. Leaves petiolate, 5-12 × 7-12 cm, ovate in outline, 3-lobed to about half way, base ± truncate or subcordate and shortly cuneate onto the petiole, apex finely acuminate and shortly mucronate, central lobe oblong-elliptic (rarely ovate), 2-5 × 2-4 cm, laterals broadly ovate, margins entire or undulate, adaxially green, pubescent, abaxially densely silvery-sericeous with appressed hairs and scattered white glands; petioles 4-11 cm, thinly pubescent. Inflorescence of compact axillary cymes; primary peduncles 0.5-2.5 cm, stout, pubescent; bracteoles 2-7 × 0.5-1 mm, filiform to lanceolate, acuminate, pubescent, tardily deciduous; secondary peduncles 3-5 mm; pedicels 3-8 mm, pubescent; sepals somewhat unequal, outer 4-5 × 2-3 mm, broadly oblong, truncate or slightly retuse, glabrous or with a few hairs at the base, inner 5-6 × 3-4 mm, obovate, usually strongly retuse with a broad sinus so appearing winged, margins scarious; corolla ± campanulate, white, glabrous on the exterior, 2-2.5 cm long; limb 2.2-2. 5 cm diam. Capsules 12-13 × 10-11 mm, ellipsoid to subglobose, very shortly apiculate with persistent style base, glabrous, 4-seeded; seeds 6 × 1.5-2 mm, brown, broadly oblong in outline, densely lanate with matted cottony hairs up to 10 mm long.

Illustration.

Figure 101H-N .

Distribution.

A species with a remarkable disjunct distribution with one population in NE Brazil and the other in Panama, extending with some doubt to Costa Rica, from where fertile material has not been seen. It is a species of forest from around 100 to 1150 m.

BRAZIL. Bahia: Litoral Sul, Itagibá, Mata da Botinha, M.L. Guedes et al. 16520 (ALCB, US); Muritiba, E.C. Schmidt et al. 313 (HUEFS). Paraíba: Mun. Areia, Mata do Pau Ferro, Andrade-Lima et al. 01 (IPA, OXF). Sergipe: São Cristóvao, M. Landim et al. 1316 (ASE7882).

PANAMA. Restricted to Altos de Campana: C.E. Polo 39 (F, MO, PMA); M.D. Correa et al. 8074 (F), 11312 (MO); W.G. D’Arcy 9551 (MO), 9592 (MO), B. Hammel 5519 (MO); R. Méndez 57 (MO).

COSTA RICA. Cuenca del San Carlos, B. Hammel 20340 (MO); Cuenca del Sarapiquí, B. Hammel 20688 (MO).

Notes.

This species differs from Ipomoea isthmica by the 3-lobed leaves, shorter, pubescent, subequal sepals and shorter campanulate corolla. It can be distinguished from Ipomoea peteri by the pink corolla, finely acuminate leaf lobes and the obovate, merely pubescent (not oblong-lanceolate, tomentose) sepals.

For a discussion about confusion with Ipomoea isthmica , see Wood et al. (2017d).

Figures

Figure 101. A-G Ipomoea isthmica. A habit showing leaf and inflorescence B abaxial leaf surface C outer sepal D inner sepal E corolla opened up to show stamens F fruiting cyme G seed. H-N Ipomoea eremnobrocha. H habit showing leaves and inflorescence J abaxial leaf surface K outer sepal L inner sepal M capsule N seed. Drawn by Rosemary Wise A-E from Nee 7912; F, G from McPherson & Merello 8202; H-J