Ipomoea capitellata choisy var. multilobata Bhellum var. nov. collected from Jammu and Kashmir, India is described and illustrated. 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(1): 060-062. Full Text: http://plantsciences.co.in/documents/PS0017.pdf

1. 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
JournalofResearchinPlantSciences
Journal of Research in
Plant Sciences
An International Scientific
Research Journal
An International Scientific Research Journal

2. 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

3. 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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