Ipomoea asterophora var. asterophora

Nomenclature

Accepted name/Authority/Place of publication:

Ipomoea asterophoraOoststr., Blumea 3 (1940) 561.

Description

Habit:

Stems twining, terete, stellately hairy mainly at the nodes, glabrescent.

Leaves:

Leaves broadly ovate to orbicular, 7- 16 by 7½- 12 cm, broadly cordate at the base, attenuate to shortly acuminate at the apex with a broadly triangular, obtuse to slightly emarginate, mucronulate acumen; margins entire, slightly undulate or more or less deeply lobed with 1-2 broad or narrow triangular obtuse lobes on either side, stellately hairy on both surfaces; lateral nerves strongly curved , 3-4 on either side of the midrib, 2-3 of which rising from the leaf base; petiole with stellate hairs, glabrescent, 3-8 cm long.

Inflorescences:

Inflorescences axilla ry; peduncles terete or slightly angular, ca 6-l 5 cm long, 2-6- or sometimes more-flowered , stellately hairy to glabrous. Pedicels slender, longer than the calyx, 1- 2 cm. Bracts minute, caducous.

Flowers:

Sepals slightly unequal, outer ones elliptic, 7-9 mm long, inner ones orbicular, 9- 10 mm long, all concave with rounded apex, subcorikeous, glabrous or the outer ones sparsely hairy with stellate hairs. Corolla pale purplish or purplish white, darker purple inside towards the base, campanulate to funnel-shaped, ca 7 cm long, glabrous. Stamens and style included; filaments hairy at the base. Ovary glabrous.

Author:

S.J. van Ooststroom

References:

Ooststroom, S.J. van & R.D.Hoogland. 1953. Convolvulaceae in FloraMalesiana 4: 484.

Biogeography, Ecology and Natural History

Distribution:

Kangean Islands, Moluccas (Ceram), New Guinea.

Ecology:

River-banks, up to 100 m.

Other information

General comments:

Rather few species of Ipomoea are stellate-hairy; in Asia/Malesia this is the only one. In South America I. bonariensis is the outstanding example. In Africa ca 12 stellate hairy species are assigned to a distinct genus, Astripomoea.

Infraspecific Characters:

KEY TO THE VARIETIES

1. Leavesdensely covered with stellate hairs on both surfaces; stems with similar hairsmainly at the nodes

var. asterophora

1. Leaves with stellate hairsbelow on the nerves only, or entirely glabrous; stems with similar hairs overthe whole surface or only at the nodes. var.subglabra