Monographs Details:
Authority:
Acevedo-RodrÃguez, Pedro. 2005. Vines and climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 51: 1-483.
Acevedo-RodrÃguez, Pedro. 2005. Vines and climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 51: 1-483.
Family:
Convolvulaceae
Convolvulaceae
Description:
Description - Creeping vine, with the younger portions twining and ascending, 3-4 m in length, with abundant milky latex. Roots tuberous, edible. Stems cylindrical, slender, flexible, glabrous or pubescent, usually producing aerial roots in the area of the nodes. Leaves alternate; blades simple or 3-7-lobed, 6-13 x 6-10 cm, when simple broadly ovate, deltoid, chartaceous, glabrous, the apex acute, obtuse, or acuminate, mucronulate, the base cordiform, lyrate, or truncate, the margins entire; upper surface dark green, dull; lower surface pale green, with prominent venation; petioles 5-12 cm long, glabrous. Flowers few, in axillary dichasial cymes; peduncle cylindrical, 7-12 cm long. Calyx green, not accrescent, the sepals oblong, unequal, 8-12 mm long, aristate at the apex; corolla violet-pink, infundibuliform-campanulate, 3-4.5 cm long, the limb ca. 4 cm in diameter, with 5 rounded lobes; stamens and stigmas not exserted. Capsules depressed-globose, ea. 5 mm long, pilose; seeds black, dull, puberulous, ca. 3.5 mm long, with two sides flat and one convex.
Phenology - Collected in flower and fruit from November to January.
Conservation Status - Exotic, cultivated and naturalized, rather common.
Description - Creeping vine, with the younger portions twining and ascending, 3-4 m in length, with abundant milky latex. Roots tuberous, edible. Stems cylindrical, slender, flexible, glabrous or pubescent, usually producing aerial roots in the area of the nodes. Leaves alternate; blades simple or 3-7-lobed, 6-13 x 6-10 cm, when simple broadly ovate, deltoid, chartaceous, glabrous, the apex acute, obtuse, or acuminate, mucronulate, the base cordiform, lyrate, or truncate, the margins entire; upper surface dark green, dull; lower surface pale green, with prominent venation; petioles 5-12 cm long, glabrous. Flowers few, in axillary dichasial cymes; peduncle cylindrical, 7-12 cm long. Calyx green, not accrescent, the sepals oblong, unequal, 8-12 mm long, aristate at the apex; corolla violet-pink, infundibuliform-campanulate, 3-4.5 cm long, the limb ca. 4 cm in diameter, with 5 rounded lobes; stamens and stigmas not exserted. Capsules depressed-globose, ea. 5 mm long, pilose; seeds black, dull, puberulous, ca. 3.5 mm long, with two sides flat and one convex.
Phenology - Collected in flower and fruit from November to January.
Conservation Status - Exotic, cultivated and naturalized, rather common.
Common Names:
batata, camote, sweet potato
batata, camote, sweet potato