Ipomoea prolifera

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

4. Ipomoea prolifera J.R.I. Wood & Scotland, Kew Bull. 73 (57): 1. 2018. (Wood et al. 2018: 1)

Type.

BOLIVIA. Vallegrande, on descent to Pampa Negra, J.R.I. Wood, M. Martinez & G. Aramayo 28441 (holotype USZ, isotypes LPB, OXF).

Description.

Perennial herb, clambering over shrubs or, less commonly, decumbent; stems up to c. 3 m long, pubescent with long appressed hairs. Leaves petiolate, dimorphic; upper leaves and bracts 2.5-8 × 2-10 cm, diminishing in size upwards, entire, broadly ovate-elliptic to suborbicular, rounded, base shallowly cordate to truncate, margins undulate; lower leaves 7-13 × 7-14 cm, 3-5-lobed to about halfway (rarely unequally bilobed), the lobes oblong, obtuse to acute, base shallowly cordate; both leaf forms adaxially dark green, pubescent, abaxially grey-tomentose; petioles 2.5-7.2 cm, pubescent. Inflorescence of pedunculate axillary cymes usually with 7-8 flowers, mainly near the branch tips, somewhat proliferating; peduncles (0.5) -3-4.5 cm, pubescent, often somewhat bent or twisted, diminishing in length towards apex; bracteoles caducous, not seen; secondary peduncles 0.5-2 cm; pedicels 13-20 mm, pubescent, often bent; sepals subequal, 8-9 × 5-6 mm, oblong-elliptic, densely pubescent, outer rounded with narrow scarious margins, inner with rounded or retuse with broader scarious margins; corolla 5.5-6 cm long, funnel-shaped, pale pink, pubescent, limb c. 4 cm diam.; ovary glabrous. Capsules and seeds not seen.

Illustration.

Figure 12 .

Distribution.

A narrow endemic restricted to seasonally very arid spiny bushland on descent to Pampa Negra in Vallegrande Province in Bolivia between 1650 and 1800 m.

BOLIVIA. Santa Cruz: Vallegrande, J.R.I. Wood et al. 28443 (LPB, OXF, USZ).

Note.

A scrambling or decumbent species with dimorphic leaves and stems which distinctly proliferate.

Figures

Figure 12. Ipomoea prolifera A habit B adaxial surface of leaf C abaxial leaf surface D calyx E bud F sepals G corolla H corolla opened out to show stamens and style. Drawn by Eliana Calzadilla from Wood et al. 28441.