Ipomoea obscura (L.) Ker Gawl., Convolvulaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 13 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Convolvulus obscurus L.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: xiao xin ye shu

English: obscure morning-glory

Habit:  vine

Description:  "Vines; stems twining or sometimes prostrate, herbaceous, slender, up to ca. 3 m long, glabrate or sometimes pilose.  Leaf blades chartaceous, ovate to cordate, 2.7-9 cm long, pubescent or glabrate, margins entire, apex acuminate or apiculate, base cordate, petioles about as long as blades.  Flowers solitary or several, peduncles 3.5-4 cm long, pedicels 10-20 mm long, bracts scale-like; sepals narrowly to broadly ovate, 4-8 mm long, minutely verrucose, glabrous or sparsely pilose, margins scarious, apex acute or apiculate; corolla yellow or orange to white, usually the limb white and nectar-guides yellow, the throat purple or brown-tinged, campanulate, 1.4-2.5 cm long.  Capsules brown, globose, 0.8-1.2 cm long, glabrous.  Seeds 1-4, black, ovoid, 5-5.5 mm long, appressed pubescent or velvety pubescent" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 557-559).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in dry, disturbed areas, 3-250 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 557-559).  In Fiji, "sometimes locally frequent near sea level in thickets and open places, along roadsides and in canefields" (Smith, 1991; oo, 68-69). In New Caledonia, "principalement dans la végétation secondaire, surtout rudérale" (Heine, 1984; pp. 78, 80).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical East Africa, Mascarene Islands, tropical Asia, throughout Malesia to northern Australia and Fiji (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 557-559).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 57)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Ma‘uke Island		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced invasive	Josekutty, P. C./Wakuk, E. E./Joseph, M. J. (2002) (p. 62)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 68-69) Vouchers cited: Smith 6625, DA 10519
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1991) (pp. 68-69) Vouchers cited: Greenwood 821, Greenwood 1289, DA 10320, DA 10436, DA 10893
French Polynesia Gambier Islands	Mangareva (Gambier) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Adventice
French Polynesia Gambier Islands	Mangareva (Gambier) Island	native	St. John, Harold (1988) (p. 22) Voucher cited: St. John 15227 (BISH)
French Polynesia Gambier Islands	Taravai Island	native	St. John, Harold (1988) (p. 22) Voucher cited: St. John 14780 (BISH)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Adventice
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 4101 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Tahuata (Tuhuata) Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Tahuata (Tuhuata) Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2003) (voucher ID: PTBG 39427) Taxon name on voucher: Ipomoea obscura
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Adventice
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island		Welsh, S. L. (1998)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island		University of California (2006) "Prefers rocky slopes, fences, or low ground-cover as a substrate; disturbed areas".
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Adventice
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island		Welsh, S. L. (1998)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 3498 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island		Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 32)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Welsh, S. L. (1998)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Vouchers cited: J. Florence 2277 (PAP), J. Florence 3179 (PAP), F.R. Fosberg 62715 (PAP), F.R. Fosberg 62921 (PAP), F.R. Fosberg 65018 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Makatea (Ma‘atea) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Adventice
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Niau Atoll	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Adventice
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rimatara (Rimitara) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Adventice
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Adventice
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 225)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 557-559)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 557-559) Voucher cited: Faurie 1039 (P)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank (2007) (p. 22) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H100641 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 557-559)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 10) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H110132 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 557-559)
New Caledonia Îles Loyauté (Loyalte Islands)	Îles Ouvéa (Ouvea Atoll)	introduced	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 41) Voucher cited: Däniker 2079
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 93)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	Tassin, Jacques (2005)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 41) Vouchers cited: Baumann 6120, Veillon 32 (NOU), MacKee 11928, MacKee 15015, MacKee 31190
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 366) In open grasslands and borders of thickets at low and medium altitudes, often common.
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 93)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 83)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Weedy in thickets, open forests, sandy places, seashores; 0-1600 m. Guangdong, Hainan (Nanhai Zhudao), Yunnan.
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 223) On sandy beach, in thin forests or thickets.
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 187)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	native	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 51) Common
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Weedy in thickets, open forests, sandy places, seashores; 0-1600 m.
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	native	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1993) (p. 17)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Frégate Island		Robertson, S. A./Todd, D. M. (1983) (p. 49) Voucher cited: Todd 10
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Ipomoea obscura, please let us know.