Ipomoea alexandrae 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

310. Ipomoea alexandrae D.F. Austin , Fl. Ecuador 15: 36. 1982. (Austin 1982a: 36)

Type.

ECUADOR. Loja, SW slope of Cerro Villonaco, 2100 m, B. Sparre 16212 (holotype S07-4318).

Description.

Twining perennial with stems pale brown, wiry, probably woody below, glabrous. Leaves petiolate, 2.5-4.5 × 2-3 cm, ovate-deltoid, acute to acuminate, base subtruncate to very shallowly cordate, glabrous with prominent veins; petioles 0.5-2 cm. Inflorescence of very compact, shortly pedunculate, axillary cymes of up to 6 flowers, sometimes borne on short branchlets; peduncles 2-4 mm; bracteoles 1-2 mm, deltoid, subscarious, caducous; pedicels 8-10 mm; sepals very unequal, outer 3-4 × 2-3 mm, ovate, usually emarginate and mucronate, inner 7-8 × 4 mm, oblong to oblong-ovate, emarginate, margins broad, scarious; corolla scarlet, glabrous, salverform with cylindrical tube 2.5-2.8 × 0.6-0.8 cm, the limb 3.5 cm diam., slightly lobed. Capsules and seeds unknown.

Illustration.

Figure 151 .

Distribution.

Southern Ecuador and northern Peru, on mountain slopes between 1500 and 2000 m; known from one collection in each country and only one collection apart from the type.

PERU. Cajamarca: Choropampa-Magdalena, A. Sagástagui & O. Tellez 12708 (MO, HUT, FTG, NY).

ECUADOR. Loja: type collection.

Note.

Appears to be related to Ipomoea nationis but sepals very unequal in size, the corolla tube shorter and all parts glabrous. The placement of this species is provisional.

Figures

Figure 151. Ipomoea alexandrae A habit B outer sepal C inner sepal. Drawn by Rosemary Wise from Sagastagui & Tellez 12708.