Ipomoea magnifolia Rusby

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

247. Ipomoea magnifolia Rusby , Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 6: 84. 1896. (Rusby 1896: 84)

Type.

BOLIVIA. Cochabamba, Espirito Santo, M. Bang 1277 (lectotype NY 319197, designated by Wood et al. 2015: 97, isolectotypes NY, MO, K, US barcode 0111417).

Description.

Vigorous liana to 7 m, stems pubescent. Leaves petiolate, very large. 11-20 × 7-20 cm, ovate (rarely shallowly 3-lobed), acuminate to a fine point, cordate with rounded auricles, thinly to densely adpressed pubescent on both surfaces; petioles 5-15 cm, pubescent. Inflorescence of long-pedunculate, axillary, rather compact cymes; peduncles 8-30 cm, pubescent; bracteoles 10-11 mm, linear or filiform, finely acuminate, caducous; secondary peduncles 1-1.5(-10) cm; pedicels 3-14 mm, pubescent; sepals very unequal, somewhat variable in shape and size, outer sepals 12-17 × 4-5 mm, broadly lanceolate, acuminate, the tips usually recurved, pilose to glabrous, inner sepals 7-10 × 3-4 mm, oblong, obtuse or acute, sometimes mucronate, pilose to merely ciliate, margin scarious; corolla 7-9 cm long, mauve, funnel-shaped with broad tube, in bud pubescent but glabrescent later, limb 5-6 cm diam; stigma biglobose. Capsules and seeds not seen.

Illustration.

Figure 129 .

Distribution.

Endemic to moist Andean forest in northern Bolivia and southern Peru where it grows from 750 to 1900 m in the lower cloud forest region.

BOLIVIA. Cochabamba: Chapare, Locotol, 1800 m, April 1950, M. Cardenas 458 (LIL). La Paz: 5-10 km E of Caranavi on road to Alto Beni J.R.I. Wood & T. Daniel 18384 (K, LPB); Murillo, Valle de Zongo, J. Solomon 18838 (FTG, LPB, MO); Nor Yungas, 8 km from Coroico towards Coripata, J.R.I. Wood & T. Daniel 18416 (K, LPB); Saavedra, ANMI Apolobamba, A. Fuentes et al. 7073 (ARIZ, MO); Sud Yungas, Puente Villa, S.G. Beck 32903 (K, LPB); Tamayo, P.N. Madidi, A. Fuentes et al. 9300 (LPB, MO).

PERU. Cusco: La Convención, Echarate, Papelpata, G. Calatayud et al. 2972 (MO, OXF), 3769 (MO, OXF); Vilcabamba, Espiritopampa, G. Calatayud et al. 2590 (MO, OXF).

Notes.

Somewhat resembling a large-leaved Ipomoea indica but leaves never grey-tomentose beneath, bracteoles caducous, sepals very unequal, the inner oblong, much shorter than the outer and the inflorescence not usually compact.

Ipomoea magnifolia is very variable with respect to the indumentum of the sepals and the corolla, varying from subglabrous to pilose, although there is always the tendency for hairs to fall with age. Fuentes et al. 9300 (MO) is a very unusual specimen, the inflorescence is exceptionally long-pedunculate and very dense, the outer sepals are broadly oblong not lanceolate, obtuse and mucronate, not acuminate and a mere 10 mm long.

Figures

Figure 129. Ipomoea magnifolia. A habit B adaxial leaf surface C abaxial leaf surface D calyx and bud E calyx and corolla F corolla opened up to show stamens G ovary and style. Drawn by Eliana Calzadilla A from Wood & Daniel 18416; B, C, F, G from Beck 32903; D, E from Solomon 18838.