Johnson, Merremia in Australia 
57 
Conspectus of the Australian Species of 
Merremia 
1. *Merremia aegyptia (L.) Urb., Symb. 
Antill. 4: 505 (1910); Ipomoea aegyptia L., Sp. 
PI. 1: 162 (1753); Convolvulus pentaphyllus 
L. , Sp. PI., 2 nd edn, 1: 223 (1762), nom. illeg .; 
Ipomoea pentaphylla Jacq., Collectanea 2: 
297 (1789); Merremia pentaphylla (Jacq.) 
Hallier f., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 16: 552 (1893). 
Type: America, Herb. C.Linnaeus 218.35 
(lecto: LINN, n.v., [microfiche IDC 177-5. 121: 
III. 2 1 fide Austin (1982: 84)). 
Distribution : Western Australia, Northern 
Territory; native of tropical America, now 
widespread throughout the tropics. 
2. Merremia davenportii (F.Muell.) Hallier 
fi, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 16: 552 (1893), as 
M. davenportr, Ipomoea davenportii F.Muell., 
Fragm. 6: 97 (1868), as I. davenporti. Type: 
“Davenporfs Ra.” [Davenport Ra., N.T.], 
s.dat., J.M.Stuart s.n. (holo: MEL). 
Distribution : Western Australia, Northern 
Territory, Queensland; endemic species. 
3. *Merremia dissecta (Jacq.) Hallier fi, 
Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 16: 552 (1893); Convolvulus 
dissectus Jacq., Observ. Bot. 2: 4, t. 28 (1767). 
Type: seeds from America, Jacquin, cult, in 
Vienna, n.v., fide Austin (1979: 219). 
Ipomoea sinuata Ortega, Nov. pi. descr. dec. 
84 (1798). Type: “Habitat in Insula Cuba, 
ubi Aguinaldo vulgo vocatur”, n.v., fide 
Ooststroom (1939: 302). 
Distribution : Western Australia, Northern 
Territory, Queensland, South Australia; 
native of tropical and subtropical America, 
now widespread throughout the tropics. 
4. Merremia gemella (Burm.f.) Hallier fi, 
Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 16: 552 (1893); Convolvulus 
gemellus Burm.f., FI. Indica 46, t. 21, fig. 
1. (1768); M. gemella var. gemella, Ooststr., 
Blumea 3: 302 (1939). Type: Java, s. dat., 
coll., (lecto: G [Herb. N.L.Burman], n.v., fide 
Staples & Jacquemoud (2005: 448)). 
Ipomoea flava Benth., FI. Austral. 4: 424 
(1869). Type: tributaries of the Albert R., 
[Qld], 31 August 1856, F.Mueller s.n. (holo: 
MEL). 
Distribution : Western Australia, Northern 
Territory, Queensland; also SE Asia and New 
Guinea. 
5. Merremia hederacea (Burm.f.) Hallier 
fi, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 18: 118 (1893); Evolvulus 
hederaceus Burm.f., FI. Indica 77, t. 30, fig. 2 
(1768). Type: Java, s.dat., D.Pryon s.n. (holo: 
?G [Herb. N.L.Burman]; n.v., fide Ooststroom 
(1939: 306)). 
Ipomoea chryseides Ker Gawl., Bot. Reg. 4: t. 
270 (1818); Merremia chryseides (Ker Gawl.) 
Hallier fi; Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 16: 552 (1893). 
Type: “Koenig, India Orientalis”, n.v., fide 
Ooststroom (1939: 302). 
Distribution : Western Australia, Northern 
Territory, Queensland; also tropical Africa, 
SE Asia and New Guinea. 
6. Merremia hirta (L.) Merr., Philipp. J. Sci., 
C. 7: 244 (1912); Convolvulus hirtus L., Sp. 
PI. 1: 159 (1753); M. hirta var. hirta, Ooststr., 
Blumea 3: 311 (1939). Type: India, s.dat., 
Osbeck s.n. (lecto: LINN [Herb. C.Linnaeus 
218.56]; n.v., [microfiche IDC 177-5. 122: III. 
6],. fide Merrill (1912: 245)). 
Convolvulus caespitosus Roxb., FI. Ind., 2: 70 
(1824); Merremia caespitosa (Roxb.) Hallier fi, 
Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 16: 552 (1893). Type: “Native 
of the dry lands of Dinagepore and Rungpore, 
from thence the seeds were sent, by Dr Carey, 
to the Botanic Garden at Calcutta”, n.v., fide 
Ooststroom (1939: 307). 
Ipomoea linifolia Blume, Bijdr. 721 (1826). 
Type: Moluccas, [Maluku, Indonesia], n.v., 
fide Ooststroom (1939: 307). 
Distribution : Queensland; also S and SE Asia 
and New Guinea. 
7. Merremia incisa (R.Br.) Hallier fi, Meded. 
Rijks-Herb. 1: 21 (1910); Ipomoea incisa 
R.Br., Prodr.\ 486 (1810); Convolvulus incisa 
(R.Br.) Spreng., Syst. Veg. 1: 609 (1824). 
Type: Northern Territory. Carpentaria. Island 
s [Morgans Island], 21 January 1803, R.Brown 
[Bennett no. 2751 ] (holo: BM [photo BRI]). 
Ipomoea cinerascensRMx., Prodr., 486 (1810); 
Convolvulus cinerascens (R.Br.) Spreng., 
Syst. Veg. 1: 609 (1824). Type: Northern 
Territory. North Coast. Island of al [Everett 
