Obscure Morning Glory

Ipomoea obscura (L.) Ker-Gawler

Ipomoea obscura (L.) Ker-Gawler, Bot. Reg., 3:239, 1817.—F. Brown, Flora, 240, 1935.

Convolvulus obscurus L., Sp. Pl., ed. 2, 220, 1762.

Slender twiner, almost glabrous to notably pilose; leaves broadly cordate, acuminate, up to 5 cm in diameter, with broad rounded basal sinus, margins subentire to finely crenulate, more or less ciliate, petioles slender, 2–6.5 cm long; flowers 1-several in pedunculate cymes, in each cyme one flower open at a time, peduncles 2–5 (or even 10) cm long, pedicels 1–1.5 cm, somewhat dilated upward; sepals 4–6 mm long, elliptic or elliptic ovate to oval or, in fruit, orbicular, the inner broader, mucronate; corolla campanulate-funnelform, flaring, 1.5–2 cm long, 1.5–2.5 cm broad, white or cream to sulfur-yellow, with dark purple center; stamens and pistil included; capsule subglobose, to 1 cm long, beaked, exserted from calyx, firm; seed 2.5 × 3.5 mm, plump, dark brown, sericeous tomentose.

SPECIMEN SEEN.—Nukuhiva I.: Eastern Taiohae, 0.5 km W old Fort Collet, 1–3 m, Decker 2103 (US, BISH).

Uahuka I.: 10 m, sand dunes Hane Village, yard of hospital, common, Decker 1961 (Fo).

Hivaoa I.: Miti taua’o’o, hill on SW corner of Puamau Bay, 100 ft [30–50 m], here common, Decker 640 (US, P, Fo, BISH, UC); central Puamau valley, 5 m, waste places in uncleaned plantation, common, Decker 820 (US, P, Fo, BISH); western Puamau, 250 ft [70–90 m], ravine in coconut plantation in upper paddock, occasional, Decker 863 (US, P); central Puamau, 700 ft [300–400 m], mixed subsistence and copra plantation, mainly of trees, occasional, Decker 1095 (US, P, UC).