Decalobanthus eberhardtii (Gagnep.) A.R.Simões & Staples

10. Decalobanthus eberhardtii (Gagnep.) A.R.Simões & Staples View in CoL — Fig. 7 View Fig ; Map 8 View Map 8

Decalobanthus eberhardtii (Gagnep.) A.R. Simões & Staples (2017) View in CoL 570. — Ipomoea eberhardtii Gagnep. (1915a) View in CoL 145. — Merremia eberhardtii (Gagnep.) T.N.Nguyen View in CoL in Averyanov et al. (1988) 43. — Type: Eberhardt 1708 (holo P [P00288066]; iso P [P00288067]), ( Vietnam,) ‘ Annam: prov. de Thua-Thien, near Long-co’.

Stems and branches softly tomentose-villose (grey-white in life, drying yellowish). Leaves basally attached, orbicular or broadly ovate, 10–15 cm diam, bases cordate, basal lobes semiorbicular and closely approaching; secondary veins 8 or 9 on either side of the midvein. Inflorescences several-flowered, cymose; peduncles 12–15 cm long; bracts and bracteoles long-filiform, deciduous. Flower buds narrowly ellipsoid, obtuse; sepals subequal, broadly ovate, to 1.8 by 1.2–1.5 cm, abaxially yellow-brown tomentose; corollas campanulate, up to 6 cm long, white, pale yellow inside tube base, limb 4–5 cm diam, in- conspicuously 5-sided, midpetaline bands sericeous abaxially; stamens included, subequal, anthers ellipsoid, c. 5 mm long, spiralling; pistil included, slightly exceeding stamens. Fruiting calyx accrescent, cupping fruit, sepals stiffly chartaceous, dark brown abaxially. Capsules broadly ovoid-conical, 1.8–2 cm long, dark brown, apex becoming straw-yellow. Seeds 4, ovoidtrigonous, pubescent.

Previously published illustration — Staples (2018: 279,

f. 14.3).

Distribution — Endemic in Vietnam (Quang Nam-Dà Nang, Thùa Thiên Huê).

Habitat & Ecology — Collection labels record little information aside from the plants grow in hillside thickets near the sea and inland on slopes and ravines along the Huê divide. Nothing has been recorded about the soil types or elevation.

Note — Known from just two confirmed collections made near Huê in Thùa Thiên Huê province. Additional literature reports ( Averyanov et al. 1988: 43) from offshore islands of Quang Nam-Dà Nang province require confirmation. This species is cultivated in Thailand, at Rama IX Park in Bangkok; photos that document this horticultural use circulated via social media ( Convolvulaceae group on Facebook 2018–2019).