Ipomoea deminuta J.R.I.Wood & Scotland

Wood JRL & Scotland RW. 2017. Notes on Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) from the Amazonian periphery. Kew Bulletin. 72:10. DOI 10.1007/S12225-017-9682-9

Type

Type: Bolivia, Santa Crux, Prov. Velasco, Camp. Flor de Oro, E. Gutiérrez, R. Quevedo & F. Mamani 1152 (holotype MO).

Morphology General Habit

Slender twining herb of unknown height; stems pubescent

Morphology Leaves

Leaves petiolate, 1.5 – 2.7 × 0.4 – 1.2 cm, lanceolate-deltoid, obtuse to acute, mucronate, base cordate, auricles variable, rounded, acute, or rounded with a prominent tooth, adaxially tomentose, abaxially grey-tomentose; petioles 3 – 7 mm, densely pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence of very shortly pedunculate axillary flowers; peduncles 2 – 3 mm, densely pubescent; bracteoles 3 – 4 × 0.5 – 1 mm, filiform, tomentose, persistent, ±appressed to calyx; pedicels 0 – 1 mm; sepals subequal, 7 – 8 × 1 – 1.5 mm, lanceolate, acute, densely pubescent, inner slightly narrower with scarious glabrous margins; corolla 2 – 2.5 cm long, pale pink, funnel-shaped, glabrous, limb c. 1 cm diam.; stamens included, stigma biglobose

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule and seeds not seen

Note

This very slender species is quite unlike any other Ipomoea known to us. The small corolla, very small, tomentose, lanceolate-deltoid leaves, solitary flowers, short peduncles, persistent bracteoles appressed to the calyx and suppressed pedicels all serve to separate it from all known species. Superficially it has some resemblance to the African I. convolvuloides Schinz but has a quite different inflorescence. Although we have not been able to sequence this species, we believe it is related to I. eriocalyx (= I. hewittacea (Kuntze) J. R. I. Wood & Scotland). It is similar in indumentum and leaf shape, particularly in the variable leaf auricles. The suppressed pedicels are also suggestive of this relationship but I. deminuta differs in many ways, including the small dimensions of its leaves and flowers but especially in its very short peduncles and tiny bracteoles. This species is named deminuta because of the small size of the plant in general, particularly its leaves, peduncles and pedicels.

Ecology

Seasonally flooded pampa. Endemic to the Parque Noel Kempff Mercado in Bolivia, growing on the west bank of the Rio Iténez close to the frontier with Brazil.

Conservation

The site of the only known collection of this species lies within the protected area of the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. No information is known about the size of the population. Flooded pampa is a common habitat within and around this national park as also in adjacent parts of Brazil but as there is no information about the precise ecological requirements of this species, it is impossible to evaluate any threat that it may face. It can only be classified as Data Deficient (DD) in the absence of targeted searches to refind this species.