Ipomoea subalata Hassl., Fedde

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

72. Ipomoea subalata Hassl., Fedde , Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 9: 157. 1911. (Hassler 1911: 157)

Type.

PARAGUAY. [ Concepción], San Luis, K. Fiebrig 4485 p.p. (holotype G00175183, isotype G001751820).

Description.

Robust perennial reaching 6 m; stems trailing or twining, glabrous, usually slightly winged, the wings muricate. Leaves petiolate, 5-11 × 5-9 cm, ovate, base broadly cordate to subtruncate, apex shortly acuminate, margin entire to undulate, often denticulate near base, adaxially glabrous, abaxially puberulent especially on the veins, sometimes glabrescent; petioles 3-10 cm, slightly winged below. Inflorescence of few-flowered, pedunculate, axillary cymes; peduncles often erect, straight, subglabrous, 3-10 cm; bracteoles minute, lanceolate, caducous; secondary peduncles stout, 2-8 cm; pedicels 1-3 cm; sepals subequal, glabrous to very sparsely pubescent, margins scarious, outer sepals 10-12 × 7-9 mm, broadly ovate or elliptic, obtuse to rounded; inner sepals 11-13 × 8-9 mm, accrescent to 15 mm in fruit elliptic or suborbicular, rounded to retuse (sometimes mucronulate), with broader scarious margins; corolla 9-11 cm long, funnel-shaped, pink, pubescent in bud and at tips of midpetaline bands, limb 4-5 cm diam., weakly lobed; stamens included, slightly unequal, very short, c. 8-10 mm long, style biglobose. Capsules 15-16 × 11-12 mm, ovoid to ellipsoid, very shortly rostrate, glabrous; seeds 6-11 × 3-4 mm, pilose on the angles.

Illustration.

Figure 48 .

Distribution.

Fairly common in the Andean foothills of the Chaco region of Bolivia below 1000 m, most commonly near the town of Camiri, but with a single collection from northern Paraguay.

PARAGUAY. Concepción: the type collection.

BOLIVIA. Chuquisaca: Luis Calvo, Serranía de Inca Huasi, A. Lliully & Portal 725 (OXF, HSB, MO). Santa Cruz: Cordillera, Tatarenda, R.E. Fries 1451 (S); Ipati-Lagunillas, J.R.I. Wood et al. 27637 (K, USZ, LPB); Abapó-Tatarenda, J.R.I. Wood et al. 27590 (K, LPB, USZ); Abapo, J.R.I. Wood & F. Mamani 27477 (K, LPB, UZ); Ichilo, Buenavista, J.R.I. Wood & B. Williams 27735 (K, LPB, USZ). Tarija: Gran Chaco, Palos Blancos, M. Mendoza et al. 2662 (K, USZ); Yacunda, carretera hacia Campo Largo, F. Zenteno et al. 4454 (CTES, LPB).

Note.

This species has been the source of much confusion in Brazil and elsewhere. Wood et al. (2015) treated it as a synonym of Ipomoea megapotamica while assigning the Bolivian records to Ipomoea chondrosepala . With so many errors on our part and the part of others, we identify the Bolivian material with I. subalata with some trepidation. However, the very large pubescent corolla (usually 9-10 cm long), the usually winged stems and the leaves puberulent beneath make it impossible to distinguish Bolivian material from the Paraguayan type. Additionally the habitat is essentially one of the Chaco fringes so the disjunct distribution is not really anomalous.

Figures

Figure 48. Ipomoea subalata. A habit B adaxial surface of leaf C abaxial leaf surface D calyx E bud F corolla G corolla opened to show stamens H capsule J seed. Drawn by Eliana Calzadilla A-G from Wood et al. 27637; H-J from Wood et al. 28398.