Ipomoea deminuta

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

387. Ipomoea deminuta J.R.I. Wood & Scotland, Kew Bull. 72 (10): 9. 2017. (Wood and Scotland 2017b: 9)

Type.

BOLIVIA. Velasco, Flor de Oro, E. Gutiérrez, R. Quevedo & F. Mamani 1152 (holotype MO04639930).

Description.

Slender twining herb of unknown height; stems pubescent. Leaves petiolate, 1.5-2.7 × 0.4-1.2 cm, lanceolate-deltoid, obtuse to acute, mucronate, base cordate, auricles variable, rounded, acute, or rounded with a prominent tooth, adaxially tomentose, abaxially grey-tomentose; petioles 3-7 mm, densely pubescent. Inflorescence of very shortly pedunculate axillary flowers; peduncles 2-3 mm, densely pubescent; bracteoles 3-4 × 0.5-1 mm, filiform, tomentose, persistent, ± appressed to calyx; pedicels 0-1 mm; sepals subequal, 7-8 × 1-1.5 mm, lanceolate, acute, densely pubescent, inner slightly narrower with scarious glabrous margins; corolla 2-2.5 cm long, pale pink, funnel-shaped, glabrous, limb c. 1 cm diam. Capsules and seeds not seen.

Illustration.

Figure 189 .

Distribution.

Endemic to the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park and only known from the type. It grows in seasonally flooded pampa.

BOLIVIA. Santa Cruz: type collection.

Note.

This very slender species is unlike any Ipomoea known to us. The small corolla, small tomentose lanceolate-deltoid leaves, solitary flowers, short peduncles, persistent bracteoles appressed to the calyx and suppressed pedicels all serve it separate it from all known species. We have not been able to sequence this species but it is probably related to I. eriocalyx .

Figures

Figure 189. Ipomoea deminuta. A habit B adaxial leaf Surface C abaxial leaf Surface D outer sepal E inner sepal F corolla opened out to show insertion of filaments. Drawn by Rosemary Wise from E. Gutierrez et al. 1152.