Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.

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

391. Ipomoea aquatica Forssk. , Fl. Aegypt-Arab. 44. 1775. (Forsskal 1775: 44)

Convolvulus repens Vahl , Symb. Bot. 1: 17. 1790. (Vahl 1790: 17), nom. illeg., non Convolvulus repens L. (1753). Type. Based on Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.

Ipomoea subdentata Miq. , Fl. Ned. Ind. 2: 614. 1857. (Miquel 1856-58: 614). Type. INDONESIA. Java, Socrakarta, T. Horsfield (isotype U0001409).

Ipomoea natans Dinter & Suess. , Mitt. Bot. Staatssamml. München 1: 112. 1952. (Suessenguth and Merxmüller 1952: 112). Type. NAMIBIA, Niengana, Okavanga, K. Dinter 7236 (holotype M, n.v., isotype PRE0125418-0).

Ipomoea reptans auct., non (L.) Poir.

Type.

YEMEN. Zabid, Forsskal s.n. (holotype C10002419).

Description.

Aquatic perennial, stems floating or creeping over mud and rooting at the nodes, several metres long, hollow, glabrous. Leaves petiolate, 3.5-12(-17) × 1-6 cm, deltoid, lanceolate, ovate or oblong, acute to acuminate, base hastate to weakly sagittate, the auricles usually acute, sometimes bifid, both surfaces glabrous; petioles 3-12(-17) cm. Inflorescence of lax, few-flowered, pedunculate axillary cymes, peduncles 1.5-9 cm, glabrous except for pilose base; bracteoles 1-2 mm, ovate; pedicels 2-5 cm, slender and very variable in length in the same plant; sepals subequal, outer 7-8 mm, elliptic, obtuse, mucronate, inner sepals c. 8 mm, ovate-elliptic, acute, margins sometimes scarious; corolla 4-5 cm long, funnel-shaped, pale pink or lavender with darker centre, occasionally white, glabrous, limb c. 2.5 cm diam. Capsules ovoid to subglobose, shortly rostrate, c. 10 × 8 mm, woody, glabrous, tardily dehiscent; seeds densely pubescent.

Illustration.

Deroin (2001: 171); Figure 167E .

Distribution.

Pantropical plant of Old World origin growing in muddy swamp and on lake margins. In the Americas it is well naturalised and sometimes regarded as invasive, as in Florida, Cuba and Guyana, but not recorded from many areas where it might be expected including the Dominican Republic.

BRAZIL. Amazonas: S.A. Mori 21889 (NY); W. Junk 40 (RB).

FRENCH GUIANA. Mana, G. Léotard s.n. (photo).

SURINAM. Corantijne River, J. Lanjouw 56 (K, RB), 603 (MO); Paramaribo, B.E. Hammel & S. Koemar 21202 (MO).

GUYANA. Jenman 4837 (K); 5860 (K); Harrison 1661 (K); D.H. Davis 304 (K); A.S. Hitchcock 16690 (NY, S); Georgetown, K.F. Robertson & D.F. Austin 329 (MO).

PERU. Loreto: Iquitos, T. Croat 20105 (MO, P, RB); ibid., A. Gentry et al. 22130 (F, MO, USM); Maynas, Punchana, M. Rimachi 11086 (USM).

ECUADOR. Guayas: C.H. & P. Dodson 11235 (MO).

COLOMBIA. Amazonas: R.E. Schultes et al. 24129 (GH). Córdoba: Purisima, F.J. Roldán 1649 (MO).

PANAMA. V. Dunlap 404 (F).

COSTA RICA. B. Hammel & Pérez 24406 (MO).

BELIZE. Jones Lagoon, P. Gentle 1481 (K, MICH, MO).

UNITED STATES. Florida: Pinellas Co., D.W. Hall 1736 (BM). Mississippi: C.T. Bryson 16229 (VS).

CUBA. La Habana: A.H. Curtiss 685 (BM, K, MO, NY, P). Matanzas: Bro. Alain 3912 (NY). Pinar del Río: P. Wilson 9277 (K, NY). Villa Clara: Bro. León 9422 (NY).

JAMAICA. G.R. Proctor 33066 (BM), 37950 (MO, NY); W. Stearn 391 (BM).

HAITI. St Louis du Nord, E.L. Ekman H5182 (K, NY, S).

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Doubtfully present, not included by Liogier (1994) but cited by Austin and Huámam (1996).

PUERTO RICO. Fide Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong (2012).

LESSER ANTILLES. Guadeloupe: G.R. Proctor 19949 (BM); A. Duss 3502 (NY, P); A. Raynal-Roques 21883 (P). Martinique: Stehlé s.n. (P).

TRINIDAD. W.E. Broadway 9102 (BM, K).

NETHERLANDS ANTILLES. Aruba: A. Van Proosdij 804 (MO, NY).

HAWAII. Maui, C.R. Annable 3892 (NY); Oahu, W. Hillebrand s.n. (BM); O. Degener 5999 (K); Faurie 1033 (BM, P).

Notes.

Popular in SE Asia as a stir-fried vegetable but not generally eaten in the Americas. White and pink flowered varieties are sometimes noted.

Usually easily identified by its aquatic habitat. The stems root at the nodes on mud but become free-floating on water. The leaves are variable but often narrowly lanceolate and sagittate.

Figures

Figure 167. Photographs of Ipomoea species. A I. philomega B I. cairica C I. pandurata D I. acanthocarpa E I. aquatica. A http: // faunaandfloraofvietnam. blogspot. com B John Wood C Steve Turner D Maira Martinez E Wikipedia Commons.