Ipomoea cubensis (House) Urb.

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

184. Ipomoea cubensis (House) Urb. , Symb. Antill. 9: 427. 1925. (Urban 1925: 427)

Exogonium cubense House , Bull. Torrey Bot. Club. 35 (3): 105. 1908. (House 1908a: 105). Type. CUBA. Matanzas: gorge of the Río Yamuri, N.L. Britton & J.A. Shafer 495 (holotype NY00111062).

Type.

Based on Exogonium cubense House

Description.

Slender twining perennial to several metres; stems glabrous, somewhat woody. Leaves petiolate, 4.5-8 × 3.5-8 cm, ovate, truncate to subcordate at base, entire or sinuately 3-5-lobed, glabrous, somewhat reticulate-veined. Inflorescence of few-flowered axillary cymes; peduncles 2-9 cm; bracteoles caducous, not seen; secondary peduncles 0.8-1.5 cm; pedicels 10-35 mm; sepals unequal, ovate, obtuse, margin scarious, outer 5-6 mm, inner 8-10 mm; corolla c. 5 cm long, white, tube narrow for 2-2.5 cm, then funnel-shaped, midpetaline bands ending in mucros, limb 4-5 diam., 5-lobed; stamens weakly exserted. Capsules 13 × 8 mm, ovoid, rostrate, glabrous; seeds long pilose with hairs to 10 mm.

Distribution.

Endemic to woodland in western Cuba.

CUBA. Pinar del Río: Candelaria, Soroa cerca del Orquideario, H. Manitz (HAJB51284); ibid., J. Bisse & F. Meyer (HAJB36292); Soroa, Río San Cristóbal, J. Bisse et al. (HAJB37868). Matanzos: Peninsular Hicacos, Rincón Francés J. Bisse & G. Klotz (HAJB26142) - with doubt.

Note.

This is a puzzling and misunderstood species. It is essentially the same as Ipomoea alterniflora but the basal half of the corolla tube is cylindrical, the stamens are exserted and the leaves sinuate-margined. However, none of the specimens cited above is quite as distinct as the type and careful field observations are needed to confirm that this species really is distinct from Ipomoea alterniflora . Most specimens called Ipomoea cubensis are correctly Ipomoea alterniflora .