Ipomoea nil (L.) Roth
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro. 2005. Vines and climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 51: 1-483.
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Family
Convolvulaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Description - Twining vine, attaining 5 m in length, with scarce watery latex. Stems cylindrical, slender, strigose. Leaves alternate; blades simple, 4.5-13.3 x 5.7-15 cm, chartaceous, strigose, deeply trilobed, the lobes ovate or lanceolate, acuminate at the apex, the base cordiform, sagittate, or deeply cordiform; upper and lower surface with the veins slightly prominent; petioles 2-8 cm long, strigose. Flowers solitary or in simple dichasia, axillary; peduncles as long as the petioles or slightly shorter; bracts subulate, 4-5 mm long, not forming an involucre. Calyx green, not accrescent, of 5 equal sepals, 2-3 cm long, lanceolate, chartaceous, long -acuminate, externally strigose, hirsute outside on the basal portion; corolla pale blue, lavender, or purple with the center white, infundibuliform, 4-4.5 cm long, the limb with shallow, rounded lobes; stamens and stigmas white, not exserted. Capsule subglobose, ca. 5 mm long, the pericarp thin, color yellowish brown, glabrous, with the chartaceous sepals persistent at the base; seeds 4 per fruit, ca. 4 mm long, dark brown, finely pubescent.
Phenology - Flowering from November to April and fruiting from January to April.
Conservation Status - Exotic, naturalized.