Ipomoea cearensis 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

59. Ipomoea cearensis O'Donell , Lilloa 26: 363. 1953. ( O’Donell 1953a: 363)

Type.

BRAZIL. Ceará, Salvarão, A. Löfgren 158 (holotype S07-4422).

Description.

Vigorous liana-like twiner of unknown height; stems stout, herbaceous, glabrous to thinly pilose. Leaves petiolate, 10-12 × 8-13 cm, broadly ovate, shortly acuminate, mucronate, base cordate with rectangular sinus and rounded auricles, margin entire to obscurely undulate; both surfaces glabrous or abaxial veins thinly pubescent; petioles 6-8.5 cm, glabrous. Inflorescence of axillary pedunculate cymes, sometimes compound, peduncles 1.3-7.5 cm, glabrous; bracteoles caducous, not seen; secondary peduncles 2.5-8 cm; tertiary peduncles up to 6.5 cm; pedicels 6-26 mm, glabrous; sepals slightly unequal, glabrous or almost so, outer 8-9 × 5 mm, elliptic, mucronate, the margin narrow, scarious; inner 9-10 × 7-8 mm, the margins broad, scarious; corolla 11-12 cm long, pale pink with darker centre, funnel-shaped, pilose on the midpetaline bands, limb 8-9 cm diam. Capsules and seeds unknown.

Distribution.

A rare species of northeastern Brazil.

BRAZIL. Ceará: type of Ipomoea cearensis . Maranhão: Mun. Lorêto, Ilha de Balsas, G & L. T. Eiten 4077A (K, NY, SP).

Note.

Clearly part of the Ipomoea megapotamica complex but immediately recognised by its very large corolla. The (near) glabrous sepals are also distinct.