Ipomoea

Morning Glories, Sweet Potato
Genus:Ipomoea
Family:Convolvulaceae
Weediness:Some species are very weedy

The genus Ipomoea, with over 500 species, is the largest genus in the family Convolvulaceae. The genus occurs throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, and comprises annual and perennial herbaceous plants, viness, shrubs and small trees; most of the species are twining climbing plants. Many species are known as morning glory, a name shared with some other related genera.

The genus includes important food crops (sweet potato and water spinach) and Ipomoea violacea, source of the Mexican psychedelic drug, tlitliltzin. Species and cultivars of Ipomoea grown as morning glory are popular in gardens for their often stunning flowers.

Description

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Flowers are regular and bisexual, with 5 sepals and a funnelform corolla with 5 lobes and stripes. The 5 stamens sit low in the tube, 1 style. The flower buds are "pleated", and open by untwisting. The fruit is a dry 4-6 valved capsule, containing as many seeds. Foliage is alternate, simple or compound. Most if not all temperate species are twining vines, with the stems containing a milky juice.

Growing Conditions

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Most species require full sun.

Selected Species

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Propagation

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Seeds must be soaked before planting.

Pests and Diseases

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Leaf Spots

  • Alternaria
  • Cercospora abamensis
  • Cercospora ipomoeae
  • Cercospora viridula

Blight

  • Southern Blight

Wilts

Stem Rots

Charcoal Rots

Cankers

  • Vermicularia ipomoearum

Rusts

  • Albugo ipomoeae-panduratae
  • Coleosporium ipomoeae (Alternate hosts in Pinus)
  • Puccinia crassipes

White Rusts Root Knot

Aphids

Scales

Hoppers

Whiteflies

Bugs

Beetles

Weevils

Caterpillars

Ipomoea species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species - see w:list of Lepidoptera which feed on Ipomoea.

References

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  • Britton, Nathaniel Lord (1913). An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Volume 3 (second edition ed.). Dover Publications, inc. pp. 43–45. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Ann Fowler Rhoads and Timothy A. Block (2000). The Plants of Pennsylvania: An Illustrated Manual. Anna Anisko, illustrator. Morris Arboretum, University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 360–362. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • P. D. Strausbaugh and Earl L. Core (1977). Flora of West Virginia (Second ed.). Seneca Books, Grantsville, W. Virginia. pp. 758–761. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Christopher Brickell and Judith D. Zuk (1997). The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. DK Publishing. pp. 555–556. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Staff of the L. H. Bailey Hortorium (1976). Hortus Third: A Concise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press. pp. 596–598. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Pirone, Pascal P. (1978). Diseases & Pests of Ornamental Plants (Fifth Edition ed.). John Wiley & Sons, New York. p. 315. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Cranshaw, Whitney (2004). Garden Insects of North America: The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs. Princeton University Press. p. 600. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Pippa Greenwood, Andrew Halstead, A.R. Chase, Daniel Gilrein (2000). American Horticultural Society Pests & Diseases: The Complete Guide to Preventing, Identifying, and Treating Plant Problems (First Edition ed.). Dorling Kindersley (DK) Publishing, inc. pp. 197, 203. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)