Ipomoea violacea L.

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.

  • Family

    Convolvulaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Ipomoea violacea L.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Subwoody twining vine to 15 m long, producing abundant milky sap; stems cylindrical, reaching 2-3 cm diam., with numerous concentric rings of phloem and xylem; bark grayish to whitish with numerous lenticels. Leaf blades 9-15 x 7-11 cm, thick coriaceous, cordate, seldom 3-lobed, involute and glabrous, the apex acute or acuminate and mucronate, the base cordate to deeply cordate, the margins wavy; petioles stout, longer than the blade, swollen at base of blade. Flowers nocturnal, solitary or in axillary, simple dichasia; peduncle to 7 cm long. Calyx yellowish green, 2-2.5 cm long, the sepals thick, glabrous, unequal, with obtuse to rounded apex; corolla thick, salverform, white, 5-7 cm long, the tube yellowish without, the limb 6-7 cm diam., with 5 obtuse lobes; stamens and pistil included. Capsule globose or depressedglobose, straw-colored, 2.5-3 cm diam., with persistent reflexed sepals. Seeds obtusely 3-angled, 1-1.2 cm long, velvety brown, with a line of brownish hairs along two edges.

  • Discussion

    Convolvulus tuba SchltdL, Linnaea 6: 735. 1831. Colony ction tuba (SchltdL) Colla, M e m . Nov. Sp. Calonyction 15. 1840.

    Ipomoea macrantha Roem. & Schult., Syst. Veg. 4: 251. 1819.

    Note: Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. has been collected from spontaneous individuals (A3243); however, it does not seem to be persistent.

  • Distribution

    Common in coastal areas. Emmaus (A4007), Nanny Point (A2451). Also on St. Croix, St. Thomas, and Tortola; throughout the tropics.

    Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint John Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America|