Ipomoea carnea (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Ipomoea carnea Jacq. subsp. fistulosa (Mart. ex Choisy) D.F. Austin

Protologue: Taxon 26 (2-3): 237 (1977).

Family: Convolvulaceae

Synonyms

• Ipomoea fistulosa Mart. ex Choisy (1845),
• Ipomoea crassicaulis (Benth.) B.L. Robinson (1916).

Vernacular names

• Shrubby morning glory (Am)
• Indonesia: kangkungan, klemut, ula (Javanese)
• Thailand: phak bung farang, phak bung rua (Bangkok)
• Vietnam: bìm bộng.

Distribution

Native to the Americas, from Florida and Mexico through the Caribbean to Brazil and Paraguay, spread throughout the Pacific and South-East Asia, up to Pakistan. Occasionally cultivated in South-East Asia and India.

Uses

The leaves are slightly purgative, and eaten as a vegetable by the Madurese, although they are considered toxic to livestock. In India, the plant is grown as a hedge and green manure, and also as an ornamental.

Observations

• A perennial, erect or ascending shrub when exposed, 1-3 m tall, twining when shaded, to 5 m long, branches terete or angular, stout, containing a milky juice.
• Leaves ovate to ovate-oblong, 6-25 cm × 4-17 cm, base cordate to truncate, apex acuminate, mucronulate, densely puberulent, subglabrescent.
• Inflorescence a cyme, terminal or axillary, peduncle stout, 5-10 cm long; pedicel 1-1.5 cm long, puberulent.
• Calyx with 5 nectaries between sepals, sepals subequal, orbicular, ovate to nearly circular, 5-6 mm long, puberulent, corolla tubular or funnel-shaped, 7.5-9 cm long, pink or pale lilac, inside often dark purple towards the base, stamens 5, with very unequal filaments, glabrous.
• Capsule ovoid, 1.5-2 cm long, pale brown, mucronate, finely puberulent basally.
• Seeds 4, 1 cm long, black, brown sericeous.

I. carnea subsp. fistulosa occurs along rivers and canals, sometimes on beaches, locally abundant, from sea-level up to 1000 m altitude. It is shrubby when exposed, twining when shaded. It flowers throughout the year, except during cool periods. Propagation is by cuttings. I. carnea ssp. fistulosa is toxic to livestock.

Selected sources

• [5] Abdelhadi, A.A., el Kheir, Y.M. & Hassan, T., 1989. A succinylcholine-like action of an Ipomoea carnea subsp. fistulosa (Mart. ex Choisy) extract. Pharmacological Research 21(4): 431—437.
• [25] Ahmad, M.U., Karim, M.R. & Khan, M.S.A., 1990. Effect of some indigenous plant extracts on juvenile mortality of Meloidogyne javanica. International Nematology Network Newsletter 7(2): 5—7.
• Austin, D.F. & Huáman, Z., 1996. A synopsis of Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) in the Americas. Taxon 45: 3-38.
• [74] Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr, R.C., 1964—1968. Flora of Java. 3 volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands. Vol. 1 (1964) 647 pp., Vol. 2 (1965) 641 pp., Vol. 3 (1968) 761 pp.
• [215] Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1948—1976. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials & industrial products. 11 volumes. Publications and Information Directorate, New Delhi, India.
• [295] Faridah Hanum, I. & van der Maesen, L.J.G. (Editors), 1997. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 11. Auxiliary plants. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, the Netherlands. 389 pp.
• Flora Malesiana (various editors), 1950-. Series 1. Volume 1, 4-. Kluwer, Dordrecht & Flora Malesiana Foundation, Leiden, the Netherlands.
• [647] Mansfeld, R., 1986. Verzeichnis landwirtschaftlicher und gärtnerischer Kulturpflanzen (ohne Zierpflanzen) [Register of agricultural and horticultural plants in cultivation (without ornamentals)]. Schultze-Motel, J. et al. (Editors). 2nd Edition. 4 volumes. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Germany. 1998 pp.
• [689] Mondal, A.K., Parui, S. & Mandal, S., 1998. Protein profile of the allergenic pollen of Ipomoea fistulosa L. - a comparative study. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine 5(2): 131—134.
• [1026] van Oostrom, S.J., 1940. The Convolvulaceae of Malaysia, III. Blumea 3(3): 481—582.
• Wealth of India (various editors), 1948-1976. A dictionary of Indian raw materials and industrial products: raw materials. 11 volumes. Publications and Information Directorate, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, India. 4441 pp.

Main genus page

• Ipomoea (Medicinal plants)

Authors

• M.S.M. Sosef & L.J.G. van der Maesen (Auxiliary plants)
• Anna L.H. Dibiyantoro & G.H. Schmelzer (Medicinal plants)