Ipomoea paradae

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

106. Ipomoea paradae J.R.I. Wood & Scotland, Kew Bull. 70 (31): 69. 2015. (Wood et al. 2015: 69)

Type.

BOLIVIA. Santa Cruz. camino Algodonal a Masicurí, G.A. Parada, M. Betancur & Y. Inturion 3151 (holotype USZ, isotypes K, MO).

Description.

Liana reaching at least 5 m in height, stems woody, glabrous, obscurely ridged, bark pale brown. Leaves petiolate, 6-12 × 5.5-11 cm, ovate, obtuse and muconate, base cordate with rounded auricles, adaxially green, thinly pubescent, abaxially grey-tomentose with highlighted veins; petioles 3-5 cm, puberulent. Inflorescence of 1-5-flowered, axillary, pedunculate cymes; peduncles 1-3.5 cm, glabrous except for hairs apically; secondary peduncles 1-1.4 cm, pubescent; bracteoles 10-14 × 8-10 mm, oblong-ovate, obtuse, pubescent, deciduous; pedicels 8-12 mm, markedly widened upwards, hirsute below, glabrous upwards; sepals subequal, 15-18 × 10-14 mm, broadly elliptic-obovate, rounded, glabrous, margins scarious; corolla 9-10 cm long, white with pink centre, funnel-shaped with cylindrical basal tube c. 12 mm, glabrous, midpetaline bands ending in a small tooth, limb c. 5-6 cm diam.,very shallowly lobed. Capsules ovoid, 20 × 15 mm, glabrous; seeds 10 × 6 mm, flattened ellipsoid, dark brown, long-pilose, the marginal hairs up to 20 mm.

Illustration.

Figure 71 .

Distribution.

Endemic to forest and forest relics in areas of the Andean foothills in Santa Cruz Department in Bolivia.

BOLIVIA. Santa Cruz: Ibañez, Los Espejillos, G.A. Parada et al. 162 (MO, USZ). Ichilo, PN Amboró, ridge between Quebrada Yapojé and Quebrada Caballo, 0.5-1 km above confluence with Río Saquayo, M. Nee 40966 (NY, USZ).

Notes.

Parada et al. 162 and Nee 40966 are fruiting specimens with glabrous sepals and appear to belong here but in the absence of flowers some doubt about the identity of these collections remains.

Ipomoea paradae is somewhat similar to I. brasiliana in the indumentum and venation of the leaves and also in the indumentum and size of the sepals but the sepals are always completely glabrous as are the stem and peduncles. The corolla is very distinctive with its white limb and dark red throat, recalling the corolla of I. juliagutierreziae and that of I. longibracteolata .

Figures

Figure 71. Ipomoea paradae. A habit B abaxial leaf surface C outer sepal D inner sepal E corolla opened out to show stamens F fruiting calyx and capsule G seed. Drawn by Rosemary Wise A-E from Parada et al. 3151; F, G from Parada et al. 162.