These pics were taken in the rainforest of Chiapas Mexico. These vines grow "wild" in open areas and on the edge of the forest. The people there say htey use the juice of the vines to make rubber (actually, vulcanize it). The juice is mixed with the latex of another tree, Castilla elastica.
My man identified a few kinds of vines he uses: one is Ipomoea Alba, but I can't figure out what the other one is. Here are a few pics of it. Is it even a morning glory?
here is a wide shot
Suzanne - Welcome! Interesting plants. Not sure what it is. Did it happen to have any blooms on it? Hard to tell from your photos exactly what kind of plant it is. If I am looking at the plants in the photo correctly, the leaves do seem to resemble MG foliage, but I just don't know for sure. Maybe someone else here on this forum can ID it for you.
Well it does resemble Ipomoea batatas somewhat, a vining sweet potato. Ornamental sweet potato is a member of the Morning Glory family. It has a bud on it too, near a leaf axil in the close up pic.
I thought it resembled Dioscorea http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53822/
I would say your plant is likely an Ipomoea but need photos of the calyx for more specific species identification as well as a bloom.
Ipomoea alba can produce soft spiny protrusions on the base of the pedicels and on the main stems in axillary areas, although it is much more common to see the protrusions on a very closely related species = Ipomoea muricata
The leaf shape on both Ipomoea alba and Ipomoea muricata [which are both night flowering species] is usually cordate but multi-lobed leaf forms do occur
The same constituents in Ipomoea alba that are used to vulcanize the rubber are most likely also present in the closely related species of Ipomoea muricata.
PS:
Relevant links showing Ipomoea alba with alternant leaf forms
Ipomoea alba showing multi-lobed leaves
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/65799/
http://convolvulaceae.home.comcast.net/~convolvulaceae/Convolvulaceae/Ipomoea_alba/
Ipomoea alba dark seeded form with multi-lobed leaves - note 'meekeri' designation is incorrect
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/120341/
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/vines/msg0714383122622.html
This message was edited Aug 7, 2011 4:25 PM
Sorry, no blooms were present when I took these photos (in the late fall). I am attaching yet another pic I just found. This is rambling through an open, grassy area. Again, no pics of flowers:(
The stem of the vine reminds me of I. batatas, too!
Here is an interesting list:
http://www.biosci.unl.edu/emeriti/keeler/extrafloral/Ipomoea.htm
OK. Thanks. There are numberous species!! By the way, the sap is clear, not milky. Does this change the identification?
