Ipomoea alba L.
-
Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro. 2005. Vines and climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 51: 1-483.
-
Family
Convolvulaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Description
Description - Twining vine, slightly woody, climbing or creeping, 5-20 m in length, with scarce milky or watery latex. Stems cylindrical, slender, fragile, glabrous, green, with the nodes mulberry-colored and with spiniform project ions. Leaves alternate; blades simple or sometimes 3-5-lobed. 7-18 x 8-16 cm, broadly ovate, chartaceous or subcoriaceous, glabrous, the apex acute or acuminate, the base cordiform, the margins undulate and slightly revolute, entire or 3-7-lobate; upper surface dark green, dull; lower surface pale green, with prominent venation; petioles 6-24 cm long, fragile, usually mulberrycolored, with the base somewhat broadened. Flowers fragrant, nocturnal, solitary or few in axillary racemes; peduncle cylindrical, 4-15 cm long. Calyx green, the sepals 2.5-3 cm long, lanceolate, long-aristate and revolute at the apex; corolla white, hypocrateriform, 10-12 cm long, the tube narrow, light green inside, the limb 5-lobed, 9-12 cm in diameter, with 5 light green lines outside forming a star; stamens and stigmas white, exserted. Capsules ovoid-conical, 2-3 cm long, with a persistent style; seeds 4, dark brown to black, glabrous, ca. 1 cm long, with two sides flat and one convex.
Phenology - Flowering and fruiting sporadically throughout the year.
Conservation Status - Possibly native, rather common.
-
Common Names
bejuco de puerco, bejuco de vaca, claro de luna, flor de luna