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: 50 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 taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
aquatica Forssk.N,C,SDescription, Image
barteri Baker var. barteri N,CDescription, Image
batatas (L.) Lam.CDescription, Image
blepharophylla Hallier f.CDescription, Image
cairica (L.) Sweet var. cairica N,C,SDescription, Image
coptica (L.) Roth ex Roem. & Schult. var. coptica C,SDescription, Image
coptica (L.) Roth ex Roem. & Schult. var. acuta ChoisyS
crassipes Hook. var. crassipes C,SDescription, Image
crepidiformis Hallier f. var. crepidiformis C
dichroa Hochst. ex ChoisyN,SDescription, Image
eriocarpa R. Br.N,CDescription, Image
fulvicaulis (Hochst. ex Choisy) Boiss. ex Hallier f. var. fulvicaulis SDescription, Image
fulvicaulis (Hochst. ex Choisy) Boiss. ex Hallier f. var. asperifolia (Hallier f.) Verdc.N,C,SDescription, Image
fulvicaulis (Hochst. ex Choisy) Boiss. ex Hallier f. var. heterocalyx (Schulze-Menz) Verdc.N,C,SDescription, Image
hederifolia L.N,SDescription, Image
heterotricha Didr.N,S
hochstetteri HouseN
indica (Burm.) Merr. var. acuminata (Vahl) FosbergN,SDescription, Image
involucrata P. Beauv. var. involucrata N,C,SDescription, Image
involucrata P. Beauv. var. operosa (C.H. Wright) Hallier f.N,S
kituiensis Vatke var. kituiensis S
lapathifolia Hallier f. var. lapathifolia N,C,S
leucanthemum (Klotzsch) Hallier f.N,C,SDescription, Image
linosepala Hallier f. subsp. alpina (Rendle) Lejoly & LisowskiN,C,SDescription, Image
linosepala Hallier f. subsp. linosepala N,C
marginata (Desr.) Verdc.N
mauritiana Jacq.NDescription, Image
obscura (L.) Ker Gawl. var. obscura N,C,SDescription, Image
obscura (L.) Ker Gawl. var. sagittifolia Verdc.N,C,SDescription
ochracea (Lindl.) Sweet var. ochracea N,S
oenotherae (Vatke) Hallier f. var. oenotherae SDescription, Image
papilio Hallier f.CDescription, Image
parasitica (Kunth) G. DonSDescription, Image
pes-caprae (L.) R. Br. subsp. brasiliensis (L.) van Ooststr.N,C,SImage
pes-tigridis L. var. pes-tigridis N,C,SDescription, Image
pileata Roxb.N,C,SDescription, Image
plebeia R. Br. subsp. africana A. MeeuseN,C,SDescription, Image
polhillii Verdc.N
prismatosyphon Welw. var. prismatosyphon NImage
recta De Wild.N
rubens ChoisyN,SDescription, Image
shirambensis BakerN,SDescription, Image
simonsiana RendleN,SDescription, Image
sinensis (Desr.) Choisy subsp. blepharosepala (Hochst. ex A. Rich.)Verdc.SDescription, Image
tenuirostris Steud. ex Choisy subsp. tenuirostris N,C,SDescription, Image
trinervia Schulze-MenzN,S
turbinata Lag.S
verbascoidea ChoisyN,C,SDescription, Image
welwitschii Vatke ex Hallier f.N,CDescription, Image
wightii (Wall.) Choisy var. wightii N,C,SDescription, Image

Other sources of information about Ipomoea:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Ipomoea
Flora of Caprivi: Ipomoea
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Ipomoea
Flora of Malawi: cultivated Ipomoea
Flora of Mozambique: Ipomoea
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated 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: Genus page: Ipomoea.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=1186, retrieved 19 March 2024

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