Ipomoea capitellata var. multilobata (Convolvulaceae) – A new variety

from Jammu and Kashmir State, India

Keywords: Flora, new variety, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

ABSTRACT:

Ipomoea capitellata choisy var. multilobata Bhellum var. nov. collected from Jammu and Kashmir, India is described and illustrated.

060-062 | JRPS | 2012 | Vol 1 | No 1

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Authors:

Bhellum BL.

Institution:

Department of Botany,

Government Degree College, Kathua-184 101, India.

Corresponding author:

Bhellum BL.

Web Address: http://plantsciences.info/

documents/PS0017.pdf.

Dates: Received: 15 Jan 2012 /Accepted: 24 Jan 2012 /Published: 23 Feb 2012

Article Citation: Bhellum BL. Ipomoea capitellata var. multilobata (Convolvulaceae) – A new variety from Jammu and Kashmir State, India. Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1: 060-062

Original Research

Journal of Research in Plant Sciences

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Journal of Research in

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An International Scientific Research Journal

INTRODUCTION

Genus Ipomoea is represented by 500 species

(Mabberley 2008). Choisy has described in his work

family Convolvulaceae. Clarke in Hooker’s flora of

British India (1885) treated this species as the varietal

level i.e. Ipomoea pes-tigridis L. var. capitellata. While

examining the tremendous diversity of the species and

variety the authors studied the germinating pattern in

both the species which was found to be different from

each other. Therefore, these appear to have either a

separate stock of the origin or Ipomoea pes-tigridis must

have evolved from the Ipomoea capitellata Choisy var.

multilobata Bhellum var. nov. Based on the fact, that the

evolution takes place from simple leaves Ipomoea

capitellata Choisy to deeply lobed leaves and segments

narrow on both the ends in Ipomoea pes-tigridis L. Bhati

and Sen (1978) described I. pes-tigridis as a autogamous

and genetically polymorphic weed. Wilkin (1995)

described a new species from Mexico on the basis of

morphology and further conformation on pollen.

Bhellum and Magotra (2011) described a new record for

the flora of Jammu and Kashmir State.

Although polymorphism occurs in family

Convolvulaceae in general and genus Ipomoea in

particular but how it occurs is the most important

because the pattern of the polymorphism is the most

important in systematic discipline. The simple leaves

with entire margin in Ipomoea pes-tigridis L. var.

capitellata is not the variety of Ipomoea pes-tigridis as

described by Clarke in Hooker’s flora of British India.

As Ipomoea capitellata is the earlier stock which gave

rise to the Ipomoea pes-tigridis later as per its

modification of incision of lamina from entire to deeply

dissected .The pattern of leaves occurrence in the early

stage of their germination are quite different. The

Photographs of the leaves of two species are given here

to mark the point of difference. The specimens are

deposited in the Herbarium, University of Jammu,

Jammu.

Key to the species

1+ Seedlings bear simple or slightly dissected in 2nd

leaves epicotyls region ---- I. capitellata var.

multilobata

1- Seedlings bear deeply lobed in 2nd leaves epicotyls

region ----------------- I. pes-tigridis L.

Ipomoea capitellata (Clarke) Bhellum var.

multilobata Bhellum (Fig. 1.)

Annual, stem straggling or twining with long

spreading hairs; leaves 3.8-10 cm long usually a few to

multilobed, lobes ovate, acute or acuminate, narrowed at

the base, hirsute on both the surfaces; petiole 3.8-7.5 cm

Bhellum, 2012

061 Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1: 060-062

Ipomoea capitellata

Choisy

Ipomoea pes-tigridis L.var.

multibobata Bhellum

Fig.1: Ipomoea capitellata Choisy Bhellum var.

multilobata Bhellum

long, very hairy; flowers sessile, 3 or more in a head;

peduncle 2.5- 7.5 cm long, hairy; outer bracts nearly 2.5

cm, inner ones 1cm long, all ovate-oblong, sub-obtuse,

hairy; sepals 8- 13 mm long, densely hairy, ciliate with

long stiff hairs; outer sepals broader than the inner ovate-

laceolate, the inner three linear-oblong, acute; corolla ca

ca 3 cm long tubular, campanulate, white or pale-pink;

capsule 6 mm across, globose, glabrous, papery,

concealed in the calyx; seeds 5 mm long, grey,

pubescent.

var. differet in folia multilobata.

Occurrence

Straggling on the shrubs of the wastelands in the

surroundings of Jammu.

Specimens examined

The specimens were collected from the ridges of

Jammu. The flowers open mostly in the evening.

Flowering and Fruiting: August- October

DISCUSSION

In the process of evolution, the lobes occur from

the simple to dissected not from the dissected to simple.

Therefore, I. capillata Choisy is a different species and

not the variety I. pes-tigridis. During the course of

evolution I. pes-tigridis has been evolved from the static

characters of shallowly lobed leaves. There seems to be

two lines of evolution from Ipomoea capitellata and I.

Pes-tigridis. The other characteristics which attract the

attention are texture of leaves, intermixed pubescence,

high state of variability in the vegetative and floral

morphology.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors is grateful to Prof. A. K. Koul, Dean

Centre for Biodiversity, BGSB Rajouri and Prof. Rani

Magotra Department of Botany, University of Jammu for

encouragement.

REFERENCES

Bhati P and Sen DN. 1978. Adaptive polymorphism in

Ipomoea pes-tigridis (Convolvulaceae) a common rainy

season weed of the Indian arid zone. Pl. Syst. Evol.,

129:111-117.

Bhellum BL. 2012. Conyza sumatrensis (Retz.) E.

Walker (Asteraceae) – A new record for the Flora of

North-West India. Journal of Research in Plant Sciences

1:045-047.

Bhellum and Magotra. 2011. Ipomoea digitata L.

(Convolvulaceae) – A new record for the flora of Jammu

and Kashmir State. J. Non-Timber Forest Products 18

(3):257-258.

Clarke CB, Hooker JD. 1885. The Flora of British

India. Vol. IV. Reeve & Co. Ltd. London. Mabberley D

J. 2008. Plant- Book (A potable dictionary of plants,

their classification and uses), 3rd. ed. Cambridge,

London.

Mabberley DJ. 2008. Plant- Book (A potable dictionary

of plants, their classification and uses), 3rd ed.

Cambridge, London.

Wilkin P. 1995. A new species of Ipomoea

(Convolvulaceae) from Mexico, and its evolution. Kew

Bull., 50:93-102.

Bhellum, 2012

Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1: 060-062 062

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