Ipomoea is from the Greek ips or ipos a worm that eats horn and wood and probably refers to the long slender stems.
Poison Morning Glory refers to its toxicity and the morning opening of the showy flowers, followed by their closing in the afternoon.
Other names:
Convolvulus
Morning Glory.
Summary:
An annual or perennial vine with purple to pink bell shaped flowers and alternate heart shaped leaves.
Description:
Cotyledons:
Two.
Leaves:
Alternate, spaced along the stem.
Stipules -
Petiole - Rough to touch with short spreading hairs, becoming smooth and hairless with age. 15-40 mm long.
Blade - Heart shaped with a deep notch where the petiole joins. Tip rounded. 20-80 mm long. Often folded upwards.
Stems:
Slender, twining, up to 2000 mm long.
Flower head:
A cyme of 1-3 flowers on short thick stalks (pedicels) with 2 lance shaped bracts at the base above the single, 20-80 mm long stalk (peduncle) that arises from the leaf axil. Peduncles and pedicels are usually rough to touch with short spreading hairs.
Flowers:
Ovary - 2 celled.
Sepals - 10 mm long. Tapering tip. Hairless.
Petals - Violet to pink, 30-40 mm long, bell shaped, folded in the bud.
Stamens - Attached near the base of the petals. Filaments usually hairy near the base.
Anthers -
Fruit:
Globular capsule with 2 cells with 1-2 seeds in each cell. Hairless. Slightly longer than the sepals. Splits from the top into 4 hard valves.
Seeds:
6 mm long, almost triangular, two flat faces, rounded on the back and angular at the front. Hairy.
Roots:
Key Characters:
Large, 20-40 mm long, bell shaped corolla. Pedicels much shorter than the peduncles. Cordate leaves.
Biology:
Life cycle:
Annual or Perennial.
Physiology:
Reproduction:
By seed.
Flowering times:
Summer.
Seed Biology and Germination:
Vegetative Propagules:
Hybrids:
Allelopathy:
Population Dynamics and Dispersal:
Spread by seed in flood waters.
Origin and History:
Australia.
Distribution:
NT, QLD, SA, WA.
Habitats:
Climate:
Tropical areas with summer rainfall. Often abundant after flood waters recede.
Soil:
Clay soils. Silty sands near water courses.
Plant Associations:
Open grass land.
Significance:
Beneficial:
Fodder. Eaten by horses and cattle.
Detrimental:
Weed of pastures.
Toxicity:
Toxic to sheep and cattle. Weaners are more susceptible than older stock.
Symptoms:
Loss of condition, loss of use of hindquarters, knuckling over of hind feet, jerky gait, swaying, tonguing, difficulty breathing, easily tired, salivation, frothing at the mouth, death.
Treatment:
No effective treatments. Remove stock from infestations. Prevent access to infestations.
Legislation:
None.
Management and Control:
Thresholds:
Eradication strategies:
Herbicide resistance:
Biological Control:
Related plants:
Bellvine (I. plebeia)
Coast Morning Glory or Mile-a-minute (I. cairica)
Common Morning Glory (I. purpurea)
Cowvine (I. lonchophylla)
Cupid's flower (I. quamoclit)
Moonflower (I. alba)
Purple Morning Glory (I. indica)
Silky Cowvine (I. polymorpha)
Sweet Potato (I. batatas)
Velvet Morning Glory (I. velutina)
Wild Potato (I. calobra)
(I. abrupta)
(I. graminea)
(I. pes-caprae)
(I. polpha)
(I. tribola)
Plants of similar appearance:
References:
Black, J.M. (1965). Flora of South Australia. (Government Printer, Adelaide, South Australia). P701.
Everist, S.L. (1974). Poisonous Plants of Australia. (Angus and Robertson, Sydney). P202.
Gardner, G.A. and Bennetts, H.W. (1956). The toxic plants of Western Australia. (West Australian Newspapers Ltd, Perth). P157
Lamp, C. and Collet, F. (1990). A Field Guide to Weeds in Australia. (Inkata Press, Melbourne).
Lazarides, M. and Hince, B. (1993). CSIRO handbook of economic plants of Australia. (CSIRO, Melbourne). #682.9.
Acknowledgments:
Collated by HerbiGuide. Phone 08 98444064 or www.herbiguide.com.au for more information.