Ipomoea digitata L.
Family
Convolvulaceae
Synonyms
I. paniculata (L.) R.Br., non Burm.f.
Vernacular Names
| Malaysia | Keledek hutan, akar lanar, akar keremak. |
| Philippines | Aurorang gubat, bulakan, malakamote (Tagalog). |
| Cambodia | Kantram theari. |
| Thailand | Bong len (North-eastern), phak bung rua (Bangkok), man muu (South-eastern). |
| Vietnam | khoai xi[ee]m, t[aaf]m s[es]t. |
Geographical Distributions
Ipomoea digitata is a circumtropical.
Description
I. digitata is a large perennial twiner and sometimes prostrate. The stems are cylindrical while roots are tuberous.
The leaves are orbicular in outline, with a size measure 6-14 cm x 6-16 cm, palmately divided to or mostly beyond the middle, cordate or truncate base, acute or blunt apex, mucronulate and with measure about 3-10 cm long petiole.
The flowers are in a few- to many-flowered cyme, with a size measure 2.5-20 cm long peduncle and it is longer than petioles. The pedicel is measuring 9-25 mm long. The measure 6-12 mm long sepals are subequal. The petal is funnel-shaped, cylindrical tube, with a size measure 5-6 cm long, patent limb, with a size measure 5-7 cm in diametre, pale red-purple in colour, darker tube inside, hairy filaments at the base and hairless ovary.
The capsule is an ovoid in shape, obtuse and it is measuring about 12-14 mm long.
The 4 black seeds are covered with long, woolly and easily detaching hairs.
Ecology / Cultivation
I. digitata occurs in thickets on the beach, but also in waste places, hedges, savanna forests, teak forests and along roadsides, also cultivated, sometimes with variegated leaves, from sea-level up to 700 m altitude.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 12 (2): Medicinal and poisonous plants.
