Ipomoea indica
Common name
blue morning glory
Family
Convolvulaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Lianes & Related Trailing Plants - Dicotyledons
NVS code
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.
IPOIND
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
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
Etymology
ipomoea: Worm-like, referring to coiled flower bud
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).