s191. Ipomoea incerta (Britton) Urb., Symb. Antill. 9: 247. 1924. (Urban 1924b: 247)

Exogonium incertum Britton, Mem. Torrey Bot. Club. 16: 94. 1920. (Britton 1920: 94). Type. CUBA. Holguín, J.A. Shafer 1235 (holotype NY00111064, isotype NY).

Description.

Twining perennial, largely leafless when flowering; stems wiry, grey, glabrescent. Leaves shortly petiolate,1.5-2 × 0.6-0.6 cm, oblong, obtuse, cuneate at base, glabrous, gland-dotted on both surfaces; petioles 3 mm. Inflorescence borne on short lateral woody shoots, ± racemose in structure, rhachis 1-2 cm, glabrous; bracteoles not seen; pedicels 5-8 mm; sepals subequal, 5-6 mm long, glabrous, convex, coriaceous, outer elliptic, obtuse, inner suborbicular, rounded with broader scarious margins; corolla 3-3.5 cm long, ± cylindrical, the limb only c. 10 mm diam., dark red, glabrous. Capsules ovoid, glabrous, much exceeding calyx; seeds with long woolly hairs.

Distribution.

Endemic to the hills surrounding Holguin in eastern Cuba. Apparently very rare and known from very few collections.

CUBA. Holguin: Lomas que rodean Holguín, M. López Figueiras 934 (HAJB).

Note.

A little-known species characterised by its glabrous oblong leaves. The plant is leafless when flowering and the corolla is subhypocrateriform.