Ipomoea longibracteolata Sim.-Bianch. & J.R.I.Wood

Wood JRI et al. 2017. New species of Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) from Bahia. Kew Bulletin 72:8. DOI 10.1007/S12225-017-9678-5

Type

Type: Brazil, Bahia, Mun. Caetité, Faz. Baixa Grande, 14°04'03""S 42°38'12""W, 820 m, 9 Feb. 1997, M. L. Guedes, B. Stannard, E. Saar & L. Passos 5276 (holotype HUEFS28895; isotypes ALCB, CEPEC, HRB, K, SPF).

Morphology General Habit

Liana with white latex reaching 10 m; stems woody, asperous-pilose, bark pale grey

Morphology Leaves

Leaves petiolate, (7 –) 11 – 20 × (7 –) 14 – 20 cm, ovate, cordate with rightangled sinus and rounded auricles, apex acute, mucronate, sometimes retuse, adaxially thinly pubescent, abaxially paler, densely pubescent, the venation prominent with denser indumentum; petioles (4 –) 12 – 13 cm, pilose

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence of shortly pedunculate, bracteolate, pendulous, axillary cymes; peduncles 1.5 – 8 cm, asperous-pilose; bracteoles 2 – 3 × 0.6 – 1.3 cm, often, boat-shaped, oblong-elliptic or narrowly obovate, base cuneate, apex obtuse, pilose with long white hairs, ±persistent; secondary peduncles (if present) 1 – 2 cm; pedicels 0.6 – 1.5 cm, more densely pilose than peduncles; sepals somewhat variable in size, shape and indumentum but generally unequal, outer 18 – 24 × (9 –) 14 – 16 mm, oblong-elliptic, elliptic, obovate, obtuse to rounded, glabrous or with some long white hairs along midrib on the exterior especially near base but glabrous and glandular on the interior, inner 17 – 18 × 7 mm, obovate, obtuse to rounded, glabrous; corolla 5 – 6.5 cm, glabrous, subcampanulate to shortly funnel-shaped, tube strongly inflated 1 – 1.5 cm above cylindrical base, pale pink with a dark wine-red centre and whitish limb; limb c 3.5 cm diam., apparently lobed; stamens included, unequal, filaments glabrous except for basal glandular hairs, longer c. 2 cm, shorter c. 1.5 cm; anthers c. 5 – 6 × 1 mm; style c. 3 cm long, glabrous, stigma biglobose, included

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule 2 × 1.5 cm, ellipsoid, glabrous, seeds 7 × 5 mm, densely white-pilose on angles with hairs to 15 mm long

Note

Molecular studies using ITS suggest a relationship with Ipomoea burchellii Meisn. and I. queirozii (Williams et al. in prep..) and more distantly with I. brasiliana (Mart. ex Choisy) Meisn. but this species is readily distinguished from these and other species by the relatively long, boat-shaped, persistent bracteoles, the distinctive white, asperous pilose indumentum, which is particularly prominent on the inflorescence, and by the characteristically compact inflorescence. The liana habit, subcampanulate corolla and distinct flower colour recall plants placed in the Arborescens group but molecular studies do not support its inclusion in this group and the indumentum is very different. The species epithet longibracteolata refers to the distinct long bracteoles, which characterise this species.

Ecology

Field data record this species as growing in wooded cerrado or caatinga on sandy or rocky soil. All records are from below 1000 m and mostly from around 500 m altitude. It is endemic to Brazil and has been recorded from Bahia, Minas Gerais and Goiás.

Phenology

This species has been found in flower in February, March and April, and in fruit in April to July.

Conservation

This species is known from 15 collections from three different states in Brazil. Field notes give no indication of its frequency and mention no threats to its populations. It should, therefore classified as Data Deficient (DD) within IUCN (2012) guidelines although it will need more precise classification after detailed field studies of its populations. Cerrado vegetation, in particular, is under threat in Brazil.