Distribution of Ipomoea violacea (Convolvulaceae): patterns, gaps and reports for its occurrence in Brazil and West Tropical Africa

Abstract

In 2015 a chance discovery of the beach moon flower in coastal Brazil led to an investigation of the global occurrence, distribution, and abundance of this pantropical littoral plant species. We here document new distribution records for coastal Brazil and West Tropical Africa; postulate a human-mediated long-distance dispersal for this species from the Indo-Pacific to the Atlantic, followed by local distribution via ocean currents; and provide historical context on the name confusion with other species. We al…