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moon flower, tropical white morning-glory

scarlet creeper, scarlet morning-glory

Habit Perennials. Annuals.
Stems

twining, usually prickly, sometimes rooting at nodes.

twining.

Leaf

blades broadly ovate to triangular or 3–5-lobed, 50–150 × 50–150 mm, base cordate, surfaces usually glabrous, rarely hairy.

blades ± orbiculate, reniform, or 3-lobed, 20–150 × 20–150 mm, base ± cordate, surfaces glabrous or puberulent.

Peduncles

glabrous.

usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely hairy, hairs antrorse.

Flowers

nocturnal;

sepals ovate, 7–15 mm, ± coriaceous, apex acute, outers each with midrib extending as ± corniform appendage;

corolla white, throat green-banded inside, salverform, 70–150 mm.

diurnal;

sepals elliptic to oblong, 4–4.5 mm, herbaceous, apex obtuse or truncate, outers with ± terminal corniform appendage, abaxial surface glabrous;

corolla red to red-orange, salverform, 14–30 mm.

Fruits

20–30 mm.

2n

= 30.

= 28, 30.

Ipomoea alba

Ipomoea hederifolia

Phenology Flowering Sep–May. Flowering Oct–Mar.
Habitat Forest margins, swamps, moist sites. Disturbed sites, fence rows, thickets.
Elevation 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.) 0–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; LA; SC; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Asia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; FL; GA; LA; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

A report of Ipomoea hederifolia from Kansas was presumably based on a cultivated plant, and a report for Vermont (J. T. Atwood et al. 1973) was presumably based on waifs that did not persist. The report of I. hederifolia for New Mexico by W. C. Martin and C. R. Hutchins (1980) was based on misidentified specimens. Ipomoea hederifolia may be established in Virginia.

The names Ipomoea coccinea and Quamoclit coccinea (Linnaeus) Moench have been misapplied to plants of I. hederifolia.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 14. FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa Convolvulaceae > Ipomoea Convolvulaceae > Ipomoea
Sibling taxa
I. amnicola, I. aquatica, I. asarifolia, I. barbatisepala, I. batatas, I. cairica, I. capillacea, I. cardiophylla, I. carnea, I. coccinea, I. cordatotriloba, I. costellata, I. cristulata, I. dumetorum, I. hederacea, I. hederifolia, I. imperati, I. indica, I. lacunosa, I. leptophylla, I. lindheimeri, I. longifolia, I. macrorhiza, I. microdactyla, I. muricata, I. nil, I. pandurata, I. pes-caprae, I. plummerae, I. pubescens, I. purpurea, I. quamoclit, I. rupicola, I. sagittata, I. setosa, I. shumardiana, I. sloteri, I. tenuiloba, I. tenuissima, I. ternifolia, I. thurberi, I. tricolor, I. triloba, I. violacea, I. wrightii, I. ×leucantha
I. alba, I. amnicola, I. aquatica, I. asarifolia, I. barbatisepala, I. batatas, I. cairica, I. capillacea, I. cardiophylla, I. carnea, I. coccinea, I. cordatotriloba, I. costellata, I. cristulata, I. dumetorum, I. hederacea, I. imperati, I. indica, I. lacunosa, I. leptophylla, I. lindheimeri, I. longifolia, I. macrorhiza, I. microdactyla, I. muricata, I. nil, I. pandurata, I. pes-caprae, I. plummerae, I. pubescens, I. purpurea, I. quamoclit, I. rupicola, I. sagittata, I. setosa, I. shumardiana, I. sloteri, I. tenuiloba, I. tenuissima, I. ternifolia, I. thurberi, I. tricolor, I. triloba, I. violacea, I. wrightii, I. ×leucantha
Synonyms Calonyction aculeatum, Convolvulus aculeatus
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 161. (1753) Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 925. (1759) — (as hederfol.)
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