Ipomoea eximia House

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

304. Ipomoea eximia House , Muhlenbergia 3: 44. 1907. (House 1907a: 44)

Type.

MEXICO. [Veracruz], Orizaba, F. Műller s.n. (holotype NY00319087).

Description.

Trailing perennial herb, stems slender, glabrous. Leaves shortly petiolate, 1-2 × 1-2 cm, ovate to deltate or reniform, apex obtuse, mucronulate, base cordate, margins strigose; petioles 4-14 mm. Flowers solitary, axillary; peduncles 0.4-1.1 cm, glabrous or thinly strigose; bracteoles caducous, not seen; pedicels 4 mm, muricate; sepals unequal, oblong, outer 3-4 × 2 mm, acute, muricate, central vein prominent, inner 4-5 mm, acute or obtuse, smooth; corolla 5-7 cm long, narrowly funnel-shaped, purple with white tube, apparently glabrous, limb c. 4 cm diam. Capsules and seeds unknown.

Illustration.

McDonald (1987c: 86).

Distribution.

A rare species endemic to central Mexico, where it is recorded from Pine Forest at around 1800 m.

MEXICO. Hidalgo: Los Reyes, E. Matuda 37451 (MEXU), 37452 (IEB). Veracruz: type collection.

Note.

Somewhat similar to Ipomoea ignava , but leaves entire, deltoid in shape and with smaller, muricate sepals. The corolla of the Matuda specimen is rather small but otherwise fits well.