Ipomoea cardenasiana 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

5. Ipomoea cardenasiana O'Donell , Dusenia 1: 375. 1950. ( O’Donell 1950c: 375)

Type.

BRAZIL. Mato Grosso do Sul, Urucúm, M. Cárdenas 4448 (holotype LIL001235).

Description.

Vigorous twining perennial to 3 m; stems stout, glabrous. Leaves petiolate, 4-10 × 3-8 cm, mostly 3-lobed to half way with acute lobes but some leaves ovate with one or two marginal teeth, base broadly cordate, apex shortly acuminate and mucronate, adaxially glabrous apart from veins pubescent near base, abaxially paler, pubescent especially on the veins; petioles 2-5 cm. Inflorescence of pedunculate, axillary cymes; peduncles 2-5 cm, stout, glabrous; bracteoles c. 5 mm long, oblong, muconate, papery, caducous; secondary and tertiary peduncles 0.8-1.5 cm; pedicels 5-10 mm, pubescent; sepals slightly unequal, outer 15-20 × 10-12 mm, ovate, narrowed to an obtuse apex, minutely puberulent, pale green; inner sepals 18-22 × 12 mm, elliptic, acuminate to an obtuse apex, sericeous, palid; corolla 7-9 cm long, funnel-shaped, pale pink, pubescent in bud, limb 5 cm diam., shallowly lobed. Capsules ovoid, 15 × 10 mm, glabrous, brown, enclosed by sepals; seeds 11 × 6 mm (possibly immature), brown, pilose with very long marginal hairs.

Illustration.

Wood et al. (2015: 53, photo).

Distribution.

A narrow endemic restricted to the Bolivia-Brazil border around Corumbá and Puerto Suárez at the edge of the Pantanal where it is locally common on scrubby roadsides around 100-150 m.

BRAZIL. Mato Grosso do Sul: Corumbá, Dorrien Smith 80 (K); Estrada da Codrasa, Ladãrio, Bartolotto et al. 8 (MBM).

BOLIVIA. Santa Cruz: Germán Busch, Puerto Suárez area, J.R.I. Wood & D. Villarroel 25902 (K, LPB, UB, USZ); J.R.I. Wood et al. 27885 (K, LPB, USZ).

Note.

A very distinctive species because of its large corolla, acutely 3-lobed leaves and large pale green sepals.