Argyreia ionantha
Nomenclature
Accepted name/Authority/Place of publication:
Argyreia ionantha (Kerr) Khunwasi & Traiperm, Thai Forest Bull. (Bot.) 33: 42. 2005.
Synonyms:
Lettsomia ionantha Kerr, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1941: 15. 1941. TYPE. Thailand. Chiang Mai, Doi Phra Kao, Garrett 738 (isotypes BKF, L, P).
Description
Habit:
Woody twiner, densely brown-fulvous tomentose; stems terete, glabrescent.
Leaves:
Leaves cordate or broadly ovate, 9.0–13.5 by 8.5–14.0 cm, subchartaceous, base broadly cordate, apex shortly and acutely acuminate, upper side appressed hirsute with bulbous-based hairs, underside softly appressed pubescent; lateral veins 7–9 per side; petiole 4–10 cm long.
Inflorescences:
Inflorescences axillary, capitate-cymose, 3–6-flowered; peduncles 8–16 cm long; bracts oblong-lanceolate, 1.5–2.7 cm long, persistent; pedicels 0–4 mm long.
Flowers:
Flower sepals unequal, entire, ovate, outer 8–12 by c. 4.5 mm, hirsute outside, glabrous inside, acute to acuminate, inner 7–9 by c. 3 mm, acuminate, less hirsute; corolla campanulate, 4.5–5.0 cm long, whitish purple to pale purple outside, throat reddish pink, limb shallowly lobed, midpetaline bands long hirsute outside, inside glabrous; stamens included, filaments 15–20 mm, bases hairy; pistil included, disk cupular, shallowly 5-lobed; ovary 2-celled, glabrous, style c. 30 mm.
Fruits:
Berry 5–6 mm diam., dark red.
Seeds:
Seeds c. 4 mm long, dark brown, glabrous.
References:
Staples, G. & P. Traiperm. 2010. Argyreia in Convolvulaceae. Fl. Thailand 10(3): 337–371.
Biogeography, Ecology and Natural History
Distribution Map:
Distribution:
Thailand. Endemic.
Ecology:
Often in partly
shaded situations in primary evergreen hill forest, mixed evergreen and pine
forest, secondary regrowth, and bamboo-rich disturbed evergreen forest; on clay
soils over granite bedrock; altitude: 800–1685 m.
Phenology:
Flowering: September, October; fruiting: January, February, November, December.
References:
Staples, G. & P. Traiperm. 2010. Argyreia in Convolvulaceae. Fl. Thailand 10(3): 337–371.
Other information
Authorship for webpage
Editor:
George Staples, Esmond Er
Contributors:
It is entirely possible that Agyreia ionantha is conspecific with A. mastersii (Prain) Raizada, from NE India and Myanmar. The descriptions certainly sound similar. A careful comparison of material from across the region, including Prain’s types of the latter species, conserved at Calcutta, is necessary for settling the taxonomic concept to be followed.