Ipomoea purpurea (L.) Roth, Convolvulaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Convolvulus purpureus L.; Ipomoea hirsutula J. Jacq.; Pharbitis purpurea (L.) Voigt

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: yuan ye qian niu

English: common morning-glory, tall morning-glory

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Annual herb.  Stems glabrous or bristly-pubescent, trailing or twining.  Leaf-blade ovate, entire or 3-lobed, 7.5 cm long and wide, acuminate at the apex, cordate at the base, glabrous or pubescent; petiole 7.5-9 cm long.  Flowers solitary or in few-flowered cymes; peduncle up to 12 cm long; pedicels 1.3-2.5 cm long.  Sepals lanceolate, 1.3-1.6 cm long, 1.5-4.5 mm wide, usually not conspicuously attenuated at the apex, bristly below, finely pubescent all over.  Corolla white, pink or magenta; tube white below, 4-5 cm long.  Capsule 1.1 cm in diameter, glabrous, 3-locular"  (Verdcourt, 1963; p. 114).

Habitat/ecology:  "Established on waste and cultivated ground; 900-1750 m" (Verdcourt, 1963; p. 114).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  South America, now widely naturalized in the tropics (Verdcourt, 1963; p. 114).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
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)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced cultivated	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (p. 367) Occasionally cultivated for ornamental purposes, but showing no tendency to become naturalized.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced invasive cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Waysides, hedges, fields; 0-2800 m, cultivated or escaped.
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 187)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Chile (Republic of)	introduced	Belov, Michail (2013)

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