Ipomoea mendozae

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

56. Ipomoea mendozae J.R.I. Wood & Scotland, Kew Bull. 70 (31): 44. 2015. (Wood et al. 2015: 44)

Type.

BOLIVIA. Santa Cruz, Prov. Vallegrande, Guadalupe, 350 m de la represa sobre senda a La Estancia Collana, M. Mendoza & E. Calzadilla 416 (holotype USZ, isotypes K, LPB).

Description.

Perennial herb, stems decumbent or ascending, 0.5-1.5 m long, relatively stout and slightly woody, densely white-tomentose. Leaves petiolate, 5-11.5 × 2.5-7 cm, ovate to subrhomboid, acute and shortly mucronulate, base truncate to broadly cuneate, adaxially grey-green, densely pubescent with long hairs, abaxially grey-tomentose; petioles 0.5-2 cm, tomentose. Inflorescence subterminal formed of pedunculate 1-3(-5)-flowered cymes from the upper leaf axils; bracts similar to the leaves but smaller, diminishing in size upwards, peduncles 6-12 cm, white-tomentose; secondary peduncles 1-1.5 cm; bracteoles 5-8 mm, linear to filiform; pedicels 5-12 mm, tomentose; sepals subequal, 8-10 × 3-4 mm, ovate-elliptic, obtuse, outer densely tomentose, the inner similar but with scarious, glabrous margins; corolla 5.5-8 cm long, pink, funnel-shaped, in bud tomentose on exterior, at maturity somewhat glabrescent but with pubescent midpetaline bands, limb 5.5-6 cm diam., shallowly lobed. Capsules and seeds not seen.

Illustration.

Figure 38 .

Distribution.

Endemic to the Vallegrande area in the Bolivian inter-Andean valleys where it is uncommon in open grassy scrubland on hillsides from 1900 to 2200(-2500) m.

BOLIVIA. Santa Cruz: Vallegrande area, I. Vargas 33 (NY); road to Tierras Nuevas, M. Nee et al. 37406 (NY); on descent to Piraimiri, J.R.I. Wood et al. 21743 (LPB); Vallegrande-Postrervalle, G.A. Parada et al. 5326 (MO, USZ).

Note.

This appears to be a rather isolated species morphologically. The subterminal inflorescence suggests it is essentially erect or ascending in habit, as indicated by most field notes, but it is unlike most erect species in South America in its broad leaves and Andean habitat.

Figures

Figure 38. Ipomoea mendozae. A habit B portion of stem showing indumentum C adaxial leaf surface D abaxial leaf surface E outer sepal F inner sepal G calyx with flower bud H corolla opened out to show stamens J anthers K ovary and style. Drawn by Rosemary Wise from Mendoza & Calzadilla 416.