Argyreia obtecta

Nomenclature

Accepted name/Authority/Place of publication:

Argyreia obtecta (Choisy) C.B.Clarke, Fl. Br. Ind. 4: 186. 1883.

Synonyms:

Rivea? obtecta Choisy, Mém Soc. Phys. Genève 6: 410. 1834.

Argyreia championii Benth., Fl. Hongk. 236. 1861.

Lettsomia championii (Benth.) Benth. & Hook.f., Gen. Pl. 2: 869. 1873.

Argyreia obtecta var. obtusifolia C.B.Clarke, Fl. Br. Ind. 4: 186. 1883.

Argyreia obtecta var. acutifolia Gagnep., in Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 4: 276. 1915.

Misapplied name:

Argyreia obtusifolia of authors not Lour.: e.g., Craib, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew, 1911: 423. 1911.

Description

Habit:

Liana; stems to 30 m, innovations densely appressed-pilose.

Leaves:

Leaves often oblanceolate-obovate, or elliptic, to oblong, 4–15 by 2–7 cm, base tapering cuneate or rounded, apex broadly obtuse or acute, shortly acuminate, upper side appressed strigose and smooth (veins not obvious), underside sericeous but not shining; lateral veins 7–9 per side; petiole 0.7–3 cm.

Inflorescences:

Inflorescence cymose, lax, several-flowered; peduncles 1.5–2 cm long, hairy; bracts obovate, tomentose, deciduous; pedicels 5¬–12 mm long, angular.

Flowers:

Flower sepals subequal, 3 outer broadly ovate, 6¬–10 mm long, obtuse or subacute, densely pubescent outside, inner 2 elliptic to ovate-elliptic, slightly longer, obtuse to subemarginate, margins glabrous, dark; corolla campanulate, 3.5–7.5 cm long, pale purple or pink, limb shallowly lobed, midpetaline bands appressed hirsute outside, otherwise glabrous; stamens included, 20–35 mm long, filament bases pilose, anthers 3–4.5 mm; pistil included, disc cupular, ovary glabrous, 4-celled, style 30–40 mm long.

Fruits:

Berry subglobose, 8–10 mm diam., red, attached to accrescent, reflexed calyx, sepals pale pinkish inside.

Seeds:

Seeds 4 or fewer, c. 4–5 mm long, black.

Author:

Staples, G. & P. Traiperm.

References:

Staples, G. & P. Traiperm. 2010. Argyreia in Convolvulaceae. Fl. Thailand 10(3): 337–371.

Biogeography, Ecology and Natural History

Distribution Map:

Distribution:

Myanmar, Thailand, possibly Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China, and Malaysia.

Ecology:

Dry evergreen
forest margins and clearings, in mangroves, grasslands, patches of remnant
evergreen forest surrounded by cultivation, secondary regrowth, on diverse soil
types—silicieous, clay, sandy, granitic, sandstone—but rarely limestone;
altitude: c. 30–1275 m.

Phenology:

Flowering: January, August–December; fruiting: January–March, October–December.

Author:

Staples, G. & P. Traiperm.

References:

Staples, G. & P. Traiperm. 2010. Argyreia in Convolvulaceae. Fl. Thailand 10(3): 337–371.

Other information

Common names and uses:

Khruea phu ngoen, yan tan (Thai).

General comments:

The precise geographic distribution of this species, now recharacterized and resurrected, has to be confirmed. Due to confusion with A. mollis and A. laotica, many specimens identified prior to 2006 have to be rechecked and the name verified.

The characters useful for recognizing A. obtecta at a glance are: upper side of leaves strigose, often densely so; blades tending to be broadest above the middle; veins not evident on upper side (in dry state), the surface smooth beneath the hair coat; underside of leaves sericeous to strigose, but not shining silvery; sepals broadly ovate to ovate elliptic; inner sepals with glabrous margins, these are reddish in life and dry blackish.

Authorship for webpage

Editor:

George Staples, Esmond Er

Contributors:

Classification:

Argyreia obtecta

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