Ipomoea indica (Burm.) Merr.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Greystone Park NR

Photo: Mark Hyde
Greystone Park Nature Reserve

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Synonyms:	Convolvulus acuminatus Vahl Convolvulus indicus Burm. Ipomoea acuminata (Vahl) Roem. & Schult. Ipomoea indica (Burm.) Merr. var. acuminata (Vahl) Fosberg Pharbitis indica (Burm.) Hagiw.
Common names:	Purple morning-glory (English)
Description:	Perennial climbing herb.Stems hairy. Leaves ovate entire or more or less 3-lobed. Flowers mostly purple-blue but also magenta or reddish-pink. Fruit a spherical capsule. This species is very similar to the more common and widespread Ipomoea purpurea, differing mainly in the shorter and more tapering calyx lobes.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	indica: of India
Flowering time:	Nov - May but throughout year
Worldwide distribution:	Introduced as a garden ornamental and is known as a regular naturalised escape throughout the tropical world. Its origins are uncertain, possibly native to the West Indies.
Growth form(s):
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Gonçalves, M.L. (1987). Convolvulaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(1) Page 86. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 36. Mwanga Mwanga, I.J.-C., Sosef, M.S.M. & Simoes, A.R.G., (2022). Convolvulaceae Flore d'Afrique Centrale Nouvelle Serie Jardin Botanique Meise, Belgique Pages 205 - 207. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Ipomoea indica:

Our websites:

Flora of the DRC: Ipomoea indica
Flora of the DRC: cultivated Ipomoea indica
Flora of Malawi: Ipomoea indica
Flora of Rwanda: Ipomoea indica
Flora of Rwanda: cultivated Ipomoea indica
Flora of Zambia: Ipomoea indica
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Ipomoea indica
Flora of Zimbabwe: Ipomoea indica
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Ipomoea indica

External websites:

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