Ipomoea cerradoensis J.R.I.Wood & Scotland

Wood, J.R.I., Carine, M.A., Harris, D. et al. 2015. Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) in Bolivia. Kew Bulletin 70: 31. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-015-9592-7

Type

Type: Bolivia, Santa Cruz, Prov. Velasco, Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado, la meseta, camino al Camp. Huanchaca 2, J. R. I. Wood, D. Villarroel & M. Mendoza 27017 (holotype K, isotypes USZ, LPB).

Morphology General Habit

Erect or ascending herb to 50 cm, rootstock a woody xylopodium, stem adpressed pubescent

Morphology Leaves

Leaves shortly petiolate, 3 – 6 × 1 – 3.5 cm, ovate to elliptic, base broadly cuneate to rounded, apex obtuse to rounded, minutely mucronate, margin entire, both surfaces densely pubescent with slightly asperous hairs, abaxially paler with prominent dull red veins; petiole 2 – 5 mm, pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence of shortly pedunculate axillary cymes, commonly reduced to 1 – 2 flowers; peduncles 1 – 15 mm, pubescent; bracteoles 2 – 3 × 1 mm, oblong-lanceolate, caducous; pedicels 2 – 4 mm, pubescent; sepals subequal, outer 6 – 7 × 4 – 5 mm, ovate, acute to obtuse, mucronulate, pubescent, inner 6 × 4 – 5 mm, ovate-suborbicular, obtuse, mucronulate, pubescent, margin narrow, scarious; corolla pubescent in bud, somewhat glabrescent, white (rarely very pale pink), 5 – 6 cm long, funnel-shaped, limb c. 3 cm wide, indistinctly lobed; stamens included, filaments unequal, glabrous apart from the pubescent basal expanded part, shorter filaments 8 – 9 mm, longer 12 – 14 mm; anthers linear, 3.5 × 0.5 mm; style 2.3 cm, glabrous, stigma obscurely bilobed, ovary glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule and seeds not seen

Ecology

Open cerrado (campo sujo) with scattered shrubs, often near rock outcrops on the serranias and chapadas of the Precambrian shield of Bolivia and Brazil between 700 and 1000 m. In Bolivia apparently uncommon on the meseta in the PN Noel Kempff Mercado.

Conservation

The Bolivian populations are outlying colonies of a widely distributed species in the Brazilian cerrado biome. No information is available about the size of either Bolivian population but they lie in different parts of the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park within a protected area and face no current, obvious threat. Without further information this species can only be classified as Data Deficient (DD) both in Bolivia and Brazil.

Note

Flowers principally at the onset of rain from October to early December.

The Rondonia collection, Veira et al. 783, is somewhat anomalous having slightly larger sepals and pink flowers (according to the collection label). In habit and other details it fits Ipomoea cerradoensis and is probably correctly placed here unless further collections from Rondonia prove otherwise.

A relatively distinct cerrado species belonging to the Chaco radiation with the characteristically shortly petiolate leaves of an erect or ascending species. It is similar to Ipomoea hirsutissima and I. aurifera Dammer in habit but is distinguished by the pubescent indumentum, ovate leaves and sepals and shortly pedicellate white flowers borne in small axillary cymes.