7003.000 Ipomoea L.

Gonçalves, M.L. (1987) Convolvulaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(1)

Mwanga Mwanga, I.J.-C., Sosef, M.S.M. & Simoes, A.R.G., (2022) Convolvulaceae Flore d'Afrique Centrale Nouvelle Serie Jardin Botanique Meise, Belgique

Description of the genus

Annual, biennial or perennial herbs, sometimes shrub-like or woody. Stems usually twining or prostrate, sometimes erect. Pseudostipules sometimes present. Leaves variable. Flowers axillary, solitary or in few-many-flowered cymes, sometimes in pseudoheads or enclosed in an involucre. Peduncles and pedicels usually present. Corolla usually actinomorphic, only slightly lobed. Sepals 5, usually unequal. Stamens 5, usually unequal, inserted near base of corolla tube. Ovary 2-3-4- or rarely 5-locular; style filiform. Stigmas 2, spherical. Capsule spherical to ovoid, dehiscent and 3-10-valved. Seeds usually 4, glabrous, pubescent or long-hairy.

Derivation of name: from Greek: ips meaning worm, homios meaning resembling, referring to the twining habitat

Worldwide: c.650 species in tropical and warm temperate zones

DRC: 76 taxa.

Insects associated with this genus:
Agrius convolvuli (Convolvulus hawk) Food plant
Cyana pretoriae (Pretoria red-lines) Larval foodplant
Scopula minorata Larval foodplant
Ipomoea involucrata

Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesBotanical divisionsContent
alba L.II,III,IV,V,VI,VII,IX,XIDescription, Image
aquatica Forssk.I,II,III,IV,V,VI,VII,VIII,XIDescription, Image
arborescens (H.B.K.) G. DonXIDescription
bampsiana Lejoly & Lisowski [End] [EN]XI
barteri Baker var. longisepala Lejoly & Lisowski [End]V
barteri Baker var. cordifolia Hallier f.III,V,VIII,XI
barteri Baker var. barteri III,IV,V,XIDescription, Image
batatas (L.) Lam.II,III,IV,VI,VII,VIII,IX,XIDescription, Image
biflora (L.) Pers.IX,XIDescription, Image
blepharophylla Hallier f.II,III,IV,V,VII,VIII,IX,XIDescription, Image
bolusiana SchinzIV,XIDescription, Image
cairica (L.) Sweet var. cairica I,III,V,VI,VII,VIII,IX,XIDescription, Image
carnea Jacq. subsp. fistulosa (Mart. ex Choisy) D.F. AustinIII,VI,IXDescription, Image
chrysochaetia Hallier f.II,III,IV,VI,XI
coptica (L.) Roth ex Roem. & Schult. var. coptica VIII,IX,XIDescription, Image
crassipes Hook. var. crassipes XIDescription, Image
crassipes Hook. var. hewittioides (Hallier f.) Hallier f.III,XI
crepidiformis Hallier f. var. microcephala (Hallier f.) Verdc.XI
crepidiformis Hallier f. var. crepidiformis XI
delpierrei De Wild.IV,VI,VII
dichroa Hochst. ex ChoisyVIII,IX,XIDescription, Image
duvigneaudii Lejoly & Lisowski [End] [VU]XI
elythrocephala Hallier f.IIDescription
eriocarpa R. Br.I,II,III,IV,V,VI,VII,VIII,IX,XIDescription, Image
fimbriosepala ChoisyIII,IV,V,VIDescription
fulvicaulis (Hochst. ex Choisy) Boiss. ex Hallier f. var. fulvicaulis III,V,VII,XIDescription, Image
fulvicaulis (Hochst. ex Choisy) Boiss. ex Hallier f. var. asperifolia (Hallier f.) Verdc.III,IV.VII.XIDescription, Image
fulvicaulis (Hochst. ex Choisy) Boiss. ex Hallier f. var. heterocalyx (Schulze-Menz) Verdc.III,VII,XIDescription, Image
hackeliana (Schinz) Hallier f.IVDescription, Image
hederifolia L.III,IV,VI,VIII,XIDescription, Image
heterotricha Didr.II,III,IV,V,VI,VII,IX,XIDescription
hildebrandtii Vatke subsp. grantii (Baker) Verdc.VIII,IX
imperati (Vahl) Griseb.IDescription
indica (Burm.) Merr.IIIDescription, Image
involucrata P. Beauv.I,II,III,IV,V,VI,VII,VIII,IX,XIDescription, Image
kassneri Rendle [NrEnd] [EN]XI
lapathifolia Hallier f. var. lapathifolia IXDescription
lapathifolia Hallier f. subsp. shabensis Lejoly & Lisowski [End] [EN]XI
lepidophora Lebrun & Taton [NrEnd] [VU]VII
linosepala Hallier f. subsp. alpina (Rendle) Lejoly & LisowskiXIDescription, Image
linosepala Hallier f. subsp. auroargentea Duvigneaud & Dewit. [End] [EN]XI
linosepala Hallier f. subsp. kundelungensis Lejoly & Lisowski [End] [EN]XI
linosepala Hallier f. subsp. linosepala XI
linosepala Hallier f. subsp. upembensis Lejoly & Lisowski [End] [CR]XI
macrosepala BrenanVIIIDescription
mauritiana Jacq.I,II,III,IV,V,VI,VII,XIDescription, Image
muricata (L.) Jacq.VII,IXDescription
nil (L.) RothIII,V,VII,XIDescription
obscura (L.) Ker Gawl. var. obscura I,II,III,IV,V,VI,VII,VIII,IX,XIDescription, Image
pes-caprae (L.) R. Br. subsp. brasiliensis (L.) van Ooststr.I,II,IX,XIDescription, Image
pes-tigridis L. var. strigosa (Hallier f.) RendleXI
pes-tigridis L. var. pes-tigridis V,XIDescription, Image
petitiana Lejoly & Lisowski [End] [VU]XI
pileata Roxb.III,XIDescription, Image
polymorpha Roem. & Schult.IX
prismatosyphon Welw. var. prismatosyphon V,VI,IX,XIDescription, Image
purpurea (L.) RothVI,VII,VIII,IX,XIDescription, Image
pyrophila A.Chev.III,IVDescription
quamoclit L.III,IV,V,VI,VII,XIDescription, Image
recta De Wild.XI
reflexisepala Lejoly & Lisowski [End] [EN]VI
robbrechtii Lejoly & Lisowski [End] [EN]XI
rubens ChoisyIII,IV,V,VI,VII,VIII,IX,XIDescription, Image
sagittifolia Burm.f.VII,IX,XI
Schaijesii Lejoly & Lisowski [End] [EN]XI
shirambensis BakerV,XIDescription, Image
shupangensis BakerVI,VII.IX.XIDescription, Image
stenobasis BrenanV,VII,IXDescription
tenuirostris Steud. ex Choisy subsp. tenuirostris V,VI,VIII,IX,XIDescription, Image
tricolor Cav.III,VIII,XIDescription
urbaniana (Dammer) Hallier f.VIIIDescription
verbascoidea ChoisyXIDescription, Image
verdcourtiana Lejoly & Lisowski [End] [CR]XIDescription
vernalis R.E. Fr.IV,XIDescription
welwitschii Vatke ex Hallier f.III,IV,V,XIDescription, Image
wightii (Wall.) Choisy var. wightii V,VI,VII,VIII,IX,XIDescription, Image

Other sources of information about Ipomoea:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Ipomoea
Flora of Burundi: Ipomoea
Flora of Burundi: cultivated Ipomoea
Flora of Caprivi: Ipomoea
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Ipomoea
Flora of the DRC: cultivated Ipomoea
Flora of Malawi: Ipomoea
Flora of Malawi: cultivated Ipomoea
Flora of Mozambique: Ipomoea
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Ipomoea
Flora of Rwanda: Ipomoea
Flora of Rwanda: cultivated Ipomoea
Flora of Zambia: Ipomoea
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Ipomoea
Flora of Zimbabwe: Ipomoea
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Ipomoea

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Ipomoea
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Ipomoea
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Ipomoea
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Ipomoea
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Ipomoea
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Ipomoea
JSTOR Plant Science: Ipomoea
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Ipomoea
Plants of the World Online: Ipomoea
Tropicos: Ipomoea
Wikipedia: Ipomoea

Copyright: The DRC flora team, 2024-26

The DRC flora team (2026). Flora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Genus page: Ipomoea.
https://www.drcongoflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=1186, retrieved 18 June 2026

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