Species

Ipomoea indica

Etymology

Ipomoea: Worm-like, referring to coiled flower bud

Common Name(s)

blue morning glory

Authority

Ipomoea indica (Burrman) Merr.

Family

Convolvulaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

IPOIND

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Lianes and Related Trailing Plants

Habitat

Terrestrial.

Features

High-climbing, fibrous-rooted, hairy perennial. Stems twining and running. Petioles around 2~20cm long, often purplish, densely hairy, otherwise smooth. Lamina usu. deeply 3-lobed, 5~18 x 5~16 cm, generally silky hairy below; sinuses rounded; terminal lobe usually ovate apart from the generally narrow base, acute to acuminate; lateral lobes broad and asymmetric. Infl. axillary, few-flowered. Peduncles long, often > leaves, with retrorse hairs. Pedicels generally densely clothed in retrorse hairs. Bracts and bracteoles > pedicels, usu. narrow-linear, but sometimes small, simple, foliose basal bracts present. Sepals 1.8~2.5cm long, narrow-lanceolate, acuminate, hairy esp. on margins and towards base. Corolla 8.5~10 x 9~10.5cm, funnelform; tube pink except for narrow white base; limb usually deep blue or purple with pink mid-petaline bands on the outside, often withering by afternoon and turning completely pink. Stamens 2.3~4cm long, included; fused basal part of filaments broad and white-bearded at top. Style slightly exceeding longest stamens; stigma capitate, alveolate. (- Webb et. al., 1988)

Similar Taxa

The plant is a perennial, high climbing herb, with 3-lobed leaves (Webb et. al. 1988; Department of Conservation 1996). The flowers are large and deep blue (Department of Conservation 1996). The stems are twining and running (Webb et. al. 1988; Department of Conservation 1996). The leaves are hairy and triangular (Northland Regional Council n.d.). Leaves are heart-shaped, usually 3-lobed and hairy; stems are often purplish; funnel-shaped flowers up to 10 cm across and intense blue or purple; seed capsules <2cm are brown and papery (Ford, 1998).

Flowering

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Flower Colours

Blue,Violet / Purple

Fruiting

not seen

Year Naturalised

1950

Origin

pantropical

Reason For Introduction
Ornamental

Life Cycle Comments
Perennial.

Reproduction
Morning glory spreads vegetatively , with nodes fastening to the soil and sending out new roots. Broken plant pieces from, for example, passing animals or weeding will form a new plant and increase the size of any current infestation. (Ermert and Clapp 1998)

Seed
Viable seed was not thought to be formed in New Zealand (Webb et. al. 1988; Department of Conservation 1996). However, in 1996 a plant was found in the Bay of Plenty producing large amounts of seed with seedlings nearby (Ford, 1998).

Dispersal
Fruit has not been seen (Webb et. al. 1988).

This page last updated on 5 Mar 2010