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Short Communication
Ipomoea imperati (Convolvulaceae): an addition to flora of India from
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Chennakesavulu Mudavath Naik
*
, Lal Ji Singh, Gautam Anuj Ekka
Botanical Survey of India, Andaman & Nicobar Regional Centre, Port Blair, 744102, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India
article info
Article history:
Received 26 June 2019
Received in revised form
29 July 2019
Accepted 16 September 2019
Available online 27 September 2019
Keywords:
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Convolvulaceae
Ipomoea imperati
New addition
abstract
Ipomoea imperati (Vahl) Griseb., a littoral pantropic species, is reported here from the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands as an addition to the flora of India. A detailed description, distribution map, and color
photographs are provided for easy identification with an ecological note.
Ó2019 National Science Museum of Korea (NSMK) and Korea National Arboretum (KNA), Publishing
Services by Elsevier. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Introduction
Ipomoea L. is the largest genus of the Convolvulaceae family,
represented by ca. 650 species and mainly distributed in tropical
and warm temperate regions of the world (Lonard and Judd 1999,
Mabberly 2008). In India, the genus is represented by ca. 60 spe-
cies (Santapau and Henry 1973). Previously, 19 taxa have been re-
ported under the genus Ipomoea from the phytogeographical zone
of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by various authors (Singh and
Murugan 2014, Singh et al 2014, Naik and Rao 2017, Murugan et al
2016). One of the species belonging to the Convolvulaceae, Merre-
mia umbellata subsp. orientalis (Hallier f.) Ooststr. has been recently
reported from these islands as a new distributional record for the
flora of India by Singh and Naik (2019).
During the recent botanical exploration in the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, the authors collected an interesting specimen of
Ipomoea growing along the coast of Hutbay Island (Little Andaman)
(Figure 1). After consulting the published literature and specimens,
it has been identified and conformed as Ipomoea imperati (Vahl)
Griseb., (known as beach morning glory), a pantropical species
hitherto not collected from India and documented here as a new
addition to the flora of India. Lonard and Judd (1999) reported
I. imperati as a pioneer species in the backshore of coastal beaches
of six continents and many islands. Nomenclature and typification
of I. imperati was provided by La Valva and Sabato (1983).
Material and methods
During the study of the Convolvulaceae family in the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands, various field trips were conducted during the
period 2018e2019. Consultation of the specimens placed at
Botanical Survey of India, Central National Herbarium (CAL), and
herbarium of Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre (PBL) were
carried out along with perusal of the relevant literature (Roxburgh
1832, Hooker 1882, Rao 1996, Lakshminarasimhan and Rao 1996,
Lonard and Judd 1999, Hajra et al 1999, Singh and Murugan 2014,
Singh et al 2014, Murugan et al 2016, Naik and Rao 2017). Com-
parison with the type of I. imperati also was made virtually through
JSTOR virtual herbarium, NYBG Steere Herbarium. An updated
nomenclature, description, phenology, and distribution along with
field photographs have been presented for ease of identification.
Field specimens were deposited at PBL.
Systematic account
Ipomoea imperati (Vahl) Grisebach., Cat. Pl. Cub.: 203 (1866).
Ipomoea stolonifera J.F.Gmel., Syst. Nat.: 345 (1791), nom.
superfl.; Convolvulus sinuatus Petagna, Inst. Bot. 2: 353 (1787).
Basionym: Convolvulus imperati Vahl, Symb. Bot. (Vahl) i. 17
(1790).
*Corresponding author.
E-mail address: chenna.lilly@gmail.com (C.M. Naik).
Peer review under responsibility of National Science Museum of Korea (NSMK) and
Korea National Arboretum (KNA).
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity
journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/japb
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2019.09.005
pISSN2287-884X eISSN2287-9544/Ó2019 National Science Museum of Korea (NSMK) and Korea National Arboretum (KNA), Publishing Services by Elsevier. This is an open
access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity 12 (2019) 713e717
Perennial, creeping herb, 60-120 cm in length. Stem concolor,
glabrous and rooting at nodes. Leaves oblong, lanceolate or ovate,
3e51.5 e4cm,fleshy, base shallowly cordate, margin entire or
undulate, young leaves entire, developed with 3e5 lobes, lobes
ovate to oblong, lateral lobes small, apex obtuse or emarginate,
surfaces adaxially pale green and minutely glandular, abaxially
thick green and shining. Flowers axillary, solitary, bisexual, white to
yellow; peduncle 2e3 cm long; bracts lanceolate, 5-mm long,
green, glabrous; pedicel 1- to 1.5-cm long. Sepals oblong, unequal,
in whorls (3þ2) outer 2 sepals 7- to 11-mm long; inner ca. 1.5-cm
long, leathery, apex obtuse to acute or mucronate, glabrous, pale
green. Corolla white, with a pale yellow tube without and dark
yellow center, funnelform, 4- to 6-cm diameter, glabrous. Stamens
5(3þ2), unequally arranged; staminal tube base thick, villous,
white; anthers oblong, pale yellow; filaments white glabrous;
ovary oblong, glabrous, pale green; stigma bilobed, minutely
ridged, white. Style bilobed, slightly rigid. Capsule enclosed with
calyx, ellipsoid, glabrous; seeds ca. 6 mm, tomentose, margins with
long simple hairs (Figure 2).
Flowering & Fruiting. FebruaryeMay.
Habitat. It grows along the open coastal littoral habitation of the
northeast part of Hutbay Island in South Andaman Islands, India
(Figure 1).
Specimens examined. India, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Little
Andaman Island, Hut Bay 23 iii 2019, M. Chennakesavulu Naik &
Gautam Anuj Yekka 33609, (PBL), Harbinder Bay 24 iii 2019, M.
Chennakesavulu Naik, Lal Ji Singh & Gautam Anuj Yekka 33619
(PBL) (Figure 3).
Location of the species. Latitude: 10
o
32’47.476”, Longitude: 92
o
33’30.85”, Altitude: 7.4 m MSL.
Ecological notes. The population is less and about 3e40 in-
dividuals spread at different sites (Figure 1). Although this is
considered an invasive species and a noxious weed (USDA-NRCS,
2019), it has been influenced by human intrusion and natural fac-
tors. Associated species are Priva cordifolia,Kyllinga nemoralis, and
Merremia gangetica.
World distribution. Africa, Australia, Brazil, Caribbean, China,
Europe, Indonesia, Japan (Ogasawara and Ryukyu Islands),
Malaysia, Pacific Islands, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United
States of America, and Vietnam.
Figure 1. Study map showing the habitat and distribution area of Ipomoea imperati.
CM Naik et al. / Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity 12 (2019) 713e717714
Figure 2. Ipomoea imperati: A, habit; B, view of the 5-foliolate leaf ; C, stamens with unequal arrangement; D, style; E, corolla tube view of outer side glabrous; F, view of the flower
bud; G, capsule.
CM Naik et al. / Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity 12 (2019) 713e717 715
Figure 3. Voucher specimen deposited at Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India, Andaman & Nicobar Regional Centre, Port Blair, India.
CM Naik et al. / Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity 12 (2019) 713e717716
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Dr. A. A. Mao, Director, Botanical
Survey of India (BSI), Kolkata, for constant support and facilities and
thankful to Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
for facilities and Department of Environment and Forests, Andaman
and Nicobar Administration, for necessary permission and logistic
support in conducting field studies. The first author greatly
acknowledged DST-SERB (PDF-2017/001479), Govt. of India, for
providing financial assistance.
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