Ipomoea tenera Meisn. in Martius et al.

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

373. Ipomoea tenera Meisn. in Martius et al. , Fl. Brasil. 7: 289. 1869. (Meisner 1869: 289)

Type.

BRAZIL. Rio São Francisco, Salgado, Minas Gerais, Martius s.n. (lectotype M0184955, designated by Delgado Junior et al. 2017).

Description.

Slender, probably annual, glabrous twining herb. Leaves petiolate, divided into 5 separate leaflets, leaflets 3-6 × 0.2-0.7 cm, linear, apiculate, acuminate at both ends; petioles 1.5-2 cm. Flowers solitary, axillary; peduncle slender, 1-4 cm, often coiled and often bent 90° at apex; bracteoles 2 mm, linear; pedicels 5-7 mm; sepals unequal, outer sepals 7 mm, ovate, acuminate, margin strongly fimbriate below, base abruptly truncate to sagittate; inner sepals not seen; corolla 2-2.5 cm long, narrowly funnel-shaped with narrow tube, c. 0.5 cm diam., glabrous, pink. Capsules globose, glabrous; seeds not seen.

Distribution.

Endemic to the semi-arid NE of Brazil, where it appears to be uncommon.

BRAZIL. Bahia: Rio São Francisco, L.P. de Queiroz 16215 (HUEFS). Ceará: Fazenda Iracema, Quixadá, E. Nunes s.n. (EAC, RB). Minas Gerais: type collection. Paraíba: Sousa, B. Pickel 3894 (F, IPA). Pernambuco: Petrolina, E.P. Heringer 176 (PEUFR, RB, UB). Rio Grande do Norte: Serra Negra do Norte, Est. Eco, do Seridó, R.T. Queiroz 327 (SP, UFRN).

Note.

The coiled, or at least sharply bent, pedicels suggest a close relationship with Ipomoea heptaphylla but this species is easily distinguished by the fimbriate outer sepals. We have not been able to examine the inner sepals or the seeds, which are not described above.