Ipomoea brasiliana (Mart. ex Choisy) 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

108. Ipomoea brasiliana (Mart. ex Choisy) Meisn. in Martius et al. , Fl. Brasil. 7: 261. 1869. (Meisner 1869: 261)

Rivea brasiliana Mart. ex Choisy Prodr. [A.P. de Candolle] 9: 326. 1845. (Choisy 1845: 326). Type. BRAZIL. Provinciae Piau [ Piauí]. et prope Joazeiro Prov. Bahia, Martius 2478 (holotype M0184899).

Type.

Based on Rivea brasiliana Mart. ex Choisy

Description.

Vigorous twiner or a liana to 5 m high; stems white-tomentose when young but sometimes glabrescent on older parts. Leaves shortly petiolate, 3-10 × 3-9 cm, ovate, obtuse and mucronate, base shallowly to deeply cordate, adaxially dark green, tomentellous, abaxially white-tomentose, the veins often highlighted; petioles 1-4.5 cm, white-tomentose. Inflorescence of shortly pedunculate few-flowered, compact axillary cymes; peduncles 1-5 cm, white-tomentose; bracteoles 1.8-2.2 cm, oblong-boat-shaped, papery, tomentose, caducous; pedicels often less hairy than peduncles, glabrous to ( var. subincana ) tomentose, 5-8 mm; sepals subequal, 10-13 × 8-9 mm, but strongly accrescent in fruit to 18 × 12 mm, elliptic, obtuse, margins scarious, glabrous to ( var. subincana ) tomentose, inner more rounded with broader margins; corolla 5-8 cm long, pink, funnel-shaped, nearly glabrous except for a few hairs near the apex of the midpetaline bands to ( var. subincana ) tomentose, at least in bud; limb 3-4 cm diam. Capsules 12-16 × 12-13 mm, subglobose, glabrous; seeds 10 × 7 mm, minutely tomentellous under a microscope.

Illustration.

Figure 52C .

Variation.

We formally recognise two varieties that were previously treated as distinct species. Both occupy much the same geographical range and habitat in NE Brazil.

Figures

Figure 52. Photographs of Ipomoea species. A I. calyptrata B I. carnea subsp. fistulosa C I. brasiliana var. subincana D I. pauciflora E I. juliagutierreziae. A Beth Williams; B, C E John Wood; D Dick Culbert.