Ipomoea darainensis Deroin, Ranir. & Nusb. (Convolvulaceae), a new species to Madagascar

Ipomoea darainensis Deroin, Ranir. & Nusb. (Convolvulaceae), a new species from northern Madagascar in Daraina region, is described and illustrated, and its conservation status briefly discussed. It appears closely related to Ipomoea androyensis Deroin, another endemic species from the far south of Madagascar, and to the Tanzanian Ipomoea (Stictocardia) lutambensis Schulze-Menz. Such an extant distribution suggests the three species diverged from an ancestral stock early, perhaps at the time Madagascar separated from Africa. The relevance of the Daraina region for the Malagasy phytogeography is discussed. © CONSERVATOIRE ET JARDIN BOTANIQUES DE GENÈVE 2008.