Ipomoea calyptrata Dammer

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

98. Ipomoea calyptrata Dammer , Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 23, Beibl. 57: 40. 1897. (Dammer (1897: 40)

Type.

BRAZIL. Minas Gerais, near Arrasnaby, A.F.M. Glaziou 15265 (holotype B†, isotypes K000612835, P03878984, R).

Description.

Vigorous liana reaching 5 m, stems woody, subtomentose. Leaves petiolate, large, 4-16 × 5-14 cm, ovate to subreniform, apex rounded or retuse, mucronulate, base shallowly cordate to subtruncate, margin slightly undulate. adaxially grey-tomentellous, abaxially white-tomentose with conspicuous reticulate venation; petioles 1.5-5 cm, tomentose. Inflorescence of few-flowered pedunculate, axillary cymes; peduncles 3-5 cm, tomentose; bracteoles 20 × 4 mm, oblanceolate, abaxially grey-tomentose, adpressed to calyx; secondary peduncles 10-15 mm; pedicels 2-7 mm, tomentose; sepals subequal, 14-22 × 8-14 mm, oblong-obovate, rounded, densely white tomentose; corolla 6-7 cm long, pink, funnel-shaped, densely sericeous, limb 7 cm diam., unlobed. Capsules 2 × 1.5 cm, ovoid, glabrous; seeds pilose with long white hairs.

Illustration.

Figures 52A , 64 .

Distribution.

A rare plant of Brazil and Bolivia. In Bolivia it is characteristic of very dry forest between 1400 and 2000 m on the slopes of the Río Grande valley and its tributaries. Although large and conspicuous, there are few collections and it is clearly rare with a very restricted distribution. The only confirmed record from Brazil is the type collection.

BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Type of Ipomoea calyptrata .

BOLIVIA. Chuquisaca: Boeto, below Nuevo Mundo, J.R.I. Wood et al. 20496 (BOLV, HSB, K, LPB); J.R.I. Wood et al. 27659 (OXF, K, LPB, USZ). Santa Cruz: Saipina, J. Balcazar 354 (OXF, LPB, MO, USZ); Alto Mairana, M. Nee 49257 (NY, USZ); between Pucara and Santa Rosita, J.R.I. Wood & M. Mendoza 21472 (K, LPB, USZ).

Notes.

A very distinctive species because of its liana habit, persistent bracteoles appressed to the calyx, large tomentellous sepals and pink flowers. The whole plant is subtomentose with whitish hairs. The very long sepals (14-22 mm in length) serve to distinguish it from other somewhat similar species, such as Ipomoea brasiliana .

A.L. Brochado 154 (IBGE, OXF) from P.N. Das Emas, Goiás may constitute the first modern collection from Brazil. However, although the inflorescence is similar, the leaves lack the characteristic reticulate venation on the underside.

Figures

Figure 52. Photographs of Ipomoea species. A I. calyptrata B I. carnea subsp. fistulosa C I. brasiliana var. subincana D I. pauciflora E I. juliagutierreziae. A Beth Williams; B, C E John Wood; D Dick Culbert.

Figure 64. Ipomoea calyptrata. A habit B adaxial leaf surface C abaxial leaf surface D inflorescence showing bracteoles and calyx E flower showing arrangement of bracteoles and sepals F calyx in fruit G seed. Drawn by Eliana Calzadilla A-D from Wood et al. 21446; E from photo; F, G from Nee 49257.