Ipomoea itapuaensis

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

15. Ipomoea itapuaensis J.R.I. Wood & R. Degen, Kew Bull. 71, 25: 2. 2016. (Wood et al. 2016b: 2)

Type.

PARAGUAY. March 1931, P. Jorgensen 4662 (holotype US, isotypes F, GH, S).

Description.

Perennial herb from a woody base; stems 30-40 cm long, probably erect, woody below, subglabrous but with a few adpressed trichomes arranged bifariously. Leaves subsessile, lamina subdigitately divided into (3-)5(-7) linear segments 2-7 × 0.1-02 cm, apex acute (apiculate), both surfaces glabrous (or abaxially pubescent on midvein and margins); petioles 2-4 mm long, glabrous (thinly pubescent). Inflorescence of solitary, axillary flowers; peduncles 2.5-3.8 cm; bracteoles caducous, not seen; pedicels 3-7 mm; sepals slightly unequal, outer 6-7 × 3.5-5 mm, ovate-elliptic, slightly convex, apex obtuse, mucronulate, the margins glabrous, inner elliptic-suborbicular, mucronate, rounded, 7-8 × 3.5-6 mm. pubescent in central area, margin glabrous, scarious; corolla 4.5-6 cm long, pink or white, funnel-shaped, densely pubescent in bud; limb 3.5-4 cm diam., unlobed; ovary glabrous. Capsules and seeds not seen.

Illustration.

Figure 18 .

Distribution.

Endemic to Paraguay, where it grows in cerrado grassland on the border area between Itapúa and Caazapá.

PARAGUAY. Caazapá: Reserva Tapytá, B. Jiménez 208 (FCQ); ibid., M. Vera 167 (FCQ). Itapúa: Alta Verá, A. Parra et al. 116 (FCQ), ibid., Parra et al. 117 (FCQ); P.N. San Rafael, G. Caballero Marmori 3906 (MBM).

Note.

This species resembles Ipomoea theodori and I. fiebrigii in the subsessile, digitately divided leaves with linear segments. From the former it is distinguished by the pubescent (not glabrous) corolla and much shorter sepals, which in I. theodori are 20-24 mm long. From I. fiebrigii it is readily distinguished by the glabrous (not pilose), stem, leaves, peduncles and sepals and by the much longer peduncles, which scarcely reach 5 mm in I. fiebrigii .

Figures

Figure 18. Ipomoea itapuaensis. A habit B outer sepal C inner sepal D corolla opened out to show stamens. Drawn by Rosemary Wise from Jorgensen 4662.