Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Lamiids: Solanales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Ipomoea aquatica
FAMILY
Convolvulaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Ipomoea aquatica
FAMILY
Convolvulaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Ipomoea aquatica
COMMON NAME:
Water-spinach, Swamp Morning Glory
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Charles T. Bryson, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org bug_1116058
Month Unknown
Flowers can be purple, pink or white with a purple center, per Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007).
)
USDA APHIS PPQ Archive, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org bug_1149028
Month Unknown
Leaves arrow-shaped, 1-6" x 1-3"; stems hollow, per Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007).
)
USDA APHIS PPQ Archive, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org bug_1149035
Month Unknown
Can be a procumbent terrestrial in wetland areas or a floating aquatic, per www.invasive.org.
COMPARE
aquatic plants
)
Julia Scher, Federal Noxious Weeds Disseminules, USDA APHIS ITP, Bugwood.org bug_5376491
Month Unknown
)
Julia Scher, Federal Noxious Weeds Disseminules, USDA APHIS ITP, Bugwood.org bug_5376492
Month Unknown
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Ipomoea aquatica
FAMILY
Convolvulaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Ipomoea aquatica
FAMILY
Convolvulaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Ipomoea aquatica
3801
Herbaceous vine; Semi-aquatic
Annual?
Habitat: Disturbed wetlands, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: tropical Asia
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Forest Health Assessment & Applied Sciences Team: New Invaders of the Southeast
- SC Department of Natural Resources Aquatic Nuisance Species List, 2003
- SC List of Regulated Pest Plant Species, 2017
- USDA Federal Noxious Weeds, 091820
- Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2014
DOES THE PLANT HAVE "MILKY SAP"?
Has milky sap (latex)
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate
Petiole 1-4"
FLOWER:
White to lavender
Radially symmetrical
5-merous
5-lobed calyx
5-lobed funnelform corolla
5 stamens
Superior ovary
Flowers in leaf axils
FRUIT:
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007) p413
- New Invaders of the Southeast (Rawlins et al., 2018) p105
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".