Ipomoea indica
(Burm.f.) Merr. Blue Morning GloryPerennial with twining stems, pilose. Leaves broad-ovate, 4–17 cm long, 3–15 cm wide, apex acuminate, base cordate, margins entire or deeply 3-lobed, upper surface appressed-hairy, lower surface silky-tomentose; petiole 3–13 cm long. Inflorescences 2-many-flowered terminally congested cymes; peduncles 2–18 cm long; bracteoles narrow-ovate, 10–20 mm long. Flowers on pedicels 5–15 mm long; outer sepals ovate, 17–25 mm long; inner sepals similar, 15–22 mm long; corolla funnel-shaped, violet-blue with paler mid-petaline bands and darker throat, more or less glabrous, tube 5.5–7.5 cm long, limb 6.5–8 cm diam.; stamens inserted 9–11 mm above base of corolla, filaments very unequal, 11–26 mm long; ovary 3-celled, style 28–35 mm long, stigma capitate, 3-lobed. Capsule depressed-globose, c. 10 mm diam. Flowers mainly spring–autumn.
VVP, GipP, CVU, HSF, Strz. Also naturalised WA, SA, Qld, NSW. Native to tropical areas of the world. An occasional weed in metropolitan Melbourne (and probably other urban centres) where commonly grown as a climber over fences etc. Native to tropical areas of the world.
The northern and central Australian Ipomoea lonchophylla J.M. Black (Common Cow-vine) was apparently collected at Orbost in November 1900, but the provenance of this specimen must be regarded as doubtful or else the collection was from a garden-grown plant rather than from a natural occurrence. This annual trailer has narrow entire leaves, 1- or 2-flowered inflorescences of white, funnel-shaped flowers with the corolla-tube about 1 cm long and the limb 1–2 cm diam. This species may be distinguished from I. indica by the white corolla that is less than 3 cm long and the entire, ovate to lanceolate leaves.
Jeanes, J.A. (1999). Convolvulaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 365–375. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
