Merremia dichotoma

Nomenclature

Accepted name/Authority/Place of publication: 

Merremia dichotoma Ooststr., Blumea 3 (1939) 311.

Description

Habit: 
Stems twining, slender, minutely tuberculate; sparsely hirsute, glabrescent or glabrous.
Leaves: 
Leaves ovate, 4- 7 by 2½-3½ cm, cordate at the base with rounded basal lobes, gradually attenuate towards the obtuse mucronulate apex, entire, glabrous; lateral nerves 8-10 on either side of the midrib; petiole 1½-2½ cm, glabrous or sparsely hairy towards the apex.
Inflorescences: 
Inflorescences glabrous, 6-15 cm long, peduncles terete, smooth, 4-7 cm, 1-3 times dichasially ramified at the apex, the ultimate ramifications rnonochasial, all with oblong to ovate, concave, 2-4 mm long, persistent bracts. Pedicels 5- 6, in fruit to 8-9 mm long.
Flowers: 
Flower- buds obtusish. Sepals glabrous, unequal, 2 outer ones shorter, 4 mm long, oblong to oblong-elliptic, obtuse, mucronulate, inner ones 6 mm long, broadly ovate to orbicular, obtuse or subretuse. Corolla broadly funnel-shaped, ca 18 mm long, white, glabrous, inside below the hairy base of the filaments with two rows of hairs; the broad basal pilose part of the filaments with an incurved appendage at the apex. Ovary glabrous.
Fruits: 
Capsule subglobular, mucronate, ca 7 mm high, 2-celled, 4-valved; valves reticulately wrinkled.
Seeds: 
Seeds 2 in each cell, ca 3½ mm long, dull black, pubescent, villose at the edges.
Author: 
S.J. van Ooststroom
References: 

Ooststroom, S.J. van & R.D.Hoogland. 1953. Convolvulaceae in FloraMalesiana 4: 443-444.

Biogeography, Ecology and Natural History

Distribution: 

Lesser Sunda Islands (Central Timor).

Other information

Common names and uses: 
Knâtan (Timor).
General comments: 

Merremia dichotoma from Timor is very similar in morphology to M. hainanensis from Hainan Island and northern Vietnam. There are so few specimens known that a close comparison is difficult but their relationship certainly warrants investigation.

Authorship for webpage

Editor: 
G. Staples
Contributors: 
Classification: 

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