Ipomoea triloba L.
Family
Convolvulaceae
Synonyms
None
Vernacular Names
| Malaysia | Gegasing, kangkong bulu. |
| English | Three-lobed morning glory. |
| Philippines | Aurora (Sp, Tagalog), bang-ba-ngao (Iloko), muti-muti (Cebu Bisaya). |
| Thailand | Yaa dok khon (North-eastern). |
| Vietnam | b[if]m ba th[uf]y. |
Geographical Distributions
Ipomea triloba is a native of tropical America, now a pantropical weed, also in Malesia.
Description
I. triloba is an annual herb where its stems are twining or sometimes prostrate, with a size measure about 1—3 m long, hairless or sparsely hairy.
The leaves are broadly ovate to orbicular in outline, measuring about 2.5-8 cm x 2-7 cm, cordate base while the basal lobes are rounded or angular to lobed. The apex is rounded, coarsely dentate to more or less deeply 3-lobed margins, hairless or sparsely hairy. The petiole is measure about 3-10(-18) cm long and slender.
The flowers are solitary or in a few-flowered cyme. The peduncle is measure 1-10 cm long and with minute bracts. The pedicel is measuring 2.5-8 mm long. The sepals are slightly unequal, with a size of measure 7-8 mm long, narrowly oblong and fimbriate margins. The petal is funnel-shaped, with a size of measure 18-20 mm long, pink or pale red-purple in colour, sometimes with darker centre, hairy filaments at the base and with hairy ovary.
The capsule is slightly globular, with a size measure 5-6 mm long, shortly mucronulate and bristly hairy. There are 4 or less seeds, which are smooth and with a size of measure 3.5 mm long.
Ecology / Cultivation
I. triloba occurs in grassland, thickets, hedges, waste places, savanna forests, along roadsides, and occasionally on sandy beaches, from sea-level up to 750 m altitude. It can be found flowering throughout the year.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 12 (2): Medicinal and poisonous plants.
