Ipomoea kraholandica J.R.I.Wood & Scotland, 2017

Wood, John R. I., Munoz-Rodriguez, Pablo, Degen, Rosa & Scotland, Robert W., 2017, New species of Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) from South America, PhytoKeys 88, pp. 1-38 : 18-21

Ipomoea kraholandica J.R.I.Wood & Scotland sp. nov. Figure 12

Diagnosis.

Ipomoea kraholandica is a very distinct species unlike any other known to us because of the solitary flowers with suppressed peduncles, the narrowly lanceolate, pubescent sepals and the apparently unique lamina, which is essentially 3-lobed, the middle lobe lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, the two laterals bifurcate or trifurcate with the lower lobe curved backwards whereas the upper and middle lobes (when present) are bent forward.

Type.

BRAZIL. Tocantins, Mun. Itacajá, Reserva Indígena Krahó, Aldea Pedra Branca , 9 May 2000, A.A. Santos, A. Reatto, E. de Souza Martins, L. Rovênia, M. de Andrade & L. Moreira Rodrigues 719 (holotype CEN) .

Description.

Slender twining herb of unknown height; stems glabrous. Leaves petiolate, 2-3.5 × 1-3 cm, 3-lobed with the central lobe lanceolate, entire, the lateral lobes 2-3-lobed, the first and second lobes bent forwards and the third lobe bent backwards, base truncate, apex finely acuminate, both surfaces glabrous; petioles 0.7-2 cm. Inflorescence of solitary, axillary flowers; peduncles very short, 0-3 mm, thinly pubescent; bracteoles 1-3 mm, relatively persistent, thinly ciliate; pedicels 6-12 mm, thickened upwards, pubescent; sepals subequal, 11-12 × 1.5-2.5 mm, narrowly lanceolate, finely acuminate, mucronate, outer pubescent, inner pubescent with broad glabrous margins; corolla c. 2.5 cm long, funnel-shaped, pink, glabrous, midpetaline bands terminating in a prominent tooth, limb c. 2.5 cm diameter; filaments glabrous except for glandular-pilose base, longer pair 7-8 mm, shorter 4-5 mm; ovary bilocular, glabrous; style 8 mm, glabrous; stigma bi-globose. Capsule 10 × 5 mm, ovoid, glabrous; seeds 4, 5 × 2 mm, dark grey, minutely tomentellous.

Distribution.

BRAZIL. Only known from the type locality in Tocantins. Locally abundant in disturbed ground on sand. Figure 9 .

Conservation status.

Field notes record this plant as "locally abundant" but in the absence of other collections or any information about threats to its habitat, it can only be classified as Data Deficient (DD) within IUCN (2012) guidelines. It would be treated as a "black star" species within the classification of Hawthorne and Marshall (2016), but again this must be considered a provisional classification as no systematic search has been made for the species at the type locality or in other suitable habitats, although it must be presumed to be rare.

Etymology.

The epithet kraholandica refers to Reserva Indígena Krahó, where this species was found.

Note.

Molecular studies using ITS (unpublished data) place this species in a well-supported clade of mainly Brazilian species with I. bahiensis Willd. ex Roem. & Schult., I. squamosa Choisy, I. eriocalyx (Choisy) Meisn. and I. acanthocarpa (Choisy) Aschers. & Schweinf., and more distantly with I. imperati (Vahl) Griseb. and I. longeramosa Choisy. It does not, however, resemble any of these species except perhaps I. longeramosa , which differs in its cream-coloured flowers, longer peduncles 2-5 cm in length and quite different leaf shape. The leaf shape of I. kraholandica is especially unusual. The lamina is essentially 3-lobed, the middle lobe lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, the two laterals bifurcate or trifurcate, the lower lobe curved backwards whereas the upper and middle (when present) lobes are bent forward (Figure 12 ). The seeds are shortly hirsute, best described as tomentellous.

Figures

Figure 9. Map of Eastern Brazil showing distribution of I. ensiformis, I. fasciculata, I. kraholandica, I. longirostra, I. revoluta, I. scopulina, I. veadeirosii, and I. walteri.

Figure 12. Ipomoea kraholandica. A habit B outer sepal C inner sepal D corolla opened out to show stamens E ovary and style F capsule and calyx G seed. Drawn by Rosemary Wise from A. A. Santos et al 719.