7003.000 Ipomoea L.

Gonçalves, M.L. (1987) Convolvulaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(1)

Description of the genus

Annual, biennial or perennial herbs, sometimes shrub-like or woody. Stems usually twining or prostrate, sometimes erect. Pseudostipules sometimes present. Leaves variable. Flowers axillary, solitary or in few-many-flowered cymes, sometimes in pseudoheads or enclosed in an involucre. Peduncles and pedicels usually present. Corolla usually actinomorphic, only slightly lobed. Sepals 5, usually unequal. Stamens 5, usually unequal, inserted near base of corolla tube. Ovary 2-3-4- or rarely 5-locular; style filiform. Stigmas 2, spherical. Capsule spherical to ovoid, dehiscent and 3-10-valved. Seeds usually 4, glabrous, pubescent or long-hairy.

Derivation of name: from Greek: ips meaning worm, homios meaning resembling, referring to the twining habitat

Worldwide: c.650 species in tropical and warm temperate zones

Malawi: 2 cultivated taxa.

The larvae of the following species of insect eat species of this genus:
Agrius convolvuli (Convolvulus hawk)
Cyana pretoriae (Pretoria red-lines)
Scopula minorata
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Links to cultivated taxa    View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesContent
batatas (L.) Lam.Description, Image
parasitica (Kunth) G. DonDescription, Image

Other sources of information about Ipomoea:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Ipomoea
Flora of Burundi: Ipomoea
Flora of Caprivi: Ipomoea
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Ipomoea
Flora of the DRC: Ipomoea
Flora of Malawi: Ipomoea
Flora of Mozambique: Ipomoea
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Ipomoea
Flora of Rwanda: Ipomoea
Flora of Zambia: Ipomoea
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Ipomoea
Flora of Zimbabwe: Ipomoea
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Ipomoea

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Ipomoea
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Ipomoea
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Ipomoea
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Ipomoea
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Ipomoea
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Ipomoea
JSTOR Plant Science: Ipomoea
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Ipomoea
Plants of the World Online: Ipomoea
Tropicos: Ipomoea
Wikipedia: Ipomoea

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Malawi: Cultivated plants: genus page: Ipomoea.
https://www.malawiflora.com/cult/genus.php?genus_id=1186, retrieved 4 October 2024

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