Ipomoea appendiculata 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, Tarija, Prov. Gran Chaco, 10 – 20 km from Villamontes towards Palos Blancos, J. R. I. Wood, D. Villarroel & B. Williams 27607 (holotype USZ; isotypes K, LPB, OXF).

Morphology General Habit

Vigorous liana climbing over other plants to c. 3 m, stems woody, pale brown, glabrous

Morphology Leaves

Leaves petiolate, slightly succulent and often transversely folded, 5 – 7 × 4 – 5 cm, broadly ovate, shallowly cordate with rounded auricles, shortly acuminate to a mucronate apex, margin entire, both surfaces pale green and glabrous; petioles 2 – 3.5 cm, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence of shortly pedunculate axillary cymes with up to five flowers; peduncles 2 – 3.5 cm, rigid, glabrous; bracteoles 2 – 4 × 1 mm, lanceolate, boat-shaped, scurfy puberulent, caducous; secondary and tertiary peduncles 1 – 2.5 cm; pedicels (1 –) 2.2 – 3 cm, straight, glabrous below, upwards thickened, scurfy puberulent; sepals subequal, 5 – 6 × 3 mm, puberulent, each with two swollen glabrous appendages on each side towards the base, outer sepals acute and mucronate, inner sepals obtuse, minutely mucronate, margins scarious, glabrous; corolla uniformly pink, puberulent in bud, glabrescent at anthesis, 6.5 – 7 cm long, funnel-shaped, limb 5 cm wide, undulate but not lobed; stamens included, filaments slightly unequal, glabrous apart from bearded basal part, shorter filaments 12 – 14 mm, longer c. 16 mm, anthers linear, 5 × 0.5 mm; style 3.5 cm, ovary glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule ovoid, 6 × 7 mm, glabrous; seeds 1.6 × 1 mm ovoid, obtuse, brown, glabrous

Note

This species shows some similarity to Ipomoea amnicola Morong in the somewhat succulent leaves, these often being deciduous on herbarium specimens, and also to I. tarijensis O’Donell in the commonly folded leaves. However it is more closely related to I. hieronymi and I. megapotamica but is distinguished by the glabrous leaves. The 5 – 6 mm long sepals are shorter than those of I. hieronymi and lack the dark glands sometimes found in that species and in I. megapotamica. The distinctive swollen appendages on the dorsal surface of the sepals immediately separates this species from all others known to us.

Found in flower in March.

This species is named “appendiculata” because of the prominent outgrowths on the sepals.

Ecology

Endemic to southern Bolivia where it grows in chaco scrub in the Andean foothills on a steep stony slope at 600 m. Map 10.

Conservation

This species is only known from a single collection and should be categorised provisionally as Data deficient (DD). There is no obvious reason why there might not be other populations in this area but the plant is obviously rare and may turn out to be endangered but this is uncertain without extensive exploration in the vicinity of the type location.