What is the difference between nil, purpurea and tricolor?

If this issue has been addressed in another thread, please let me know where; I have searched the archives with these terms.

How can a person looking at the plants determine which ones were nil, purpurea or tricolor? I see that tricolor are the dwarf plants and have the multi-colored flowers.

I am trying to inventory my MG seeds and I am finding that some plants are listed as nil in one source and purpurea in another. Are there characteristics that I can see that would allow to me place a plant in one species or another? (characteristics of the plants, not the seeds)
Thanks
Phyllis

Hi Phyllis,
There are several threads regarding the sepals/calyx, bract, and peduncle characteristics of each species.. these threads are kind of buried in this forum.. most of the discussions (if my memory serves me right) are in the Morning Glory threads from 2005 and 2006 where the comparisons are made.

If you have a chance, browse the forum and lots of info will come up.. I'll see if I find some of them for you.. but, i'm having puter problems, so it may take me some time.

A.

Ron will probably have links to those specific threads, too. He's also been having 'puter issues, and will hopefully be up and running at full strength soon.

Nichole

Fortunately, Ron had a sentient answer, which see in next post.

This message was edited Mar 12, 2008 9:23 PM

OKay(!)...Here it is...(!)...

The overall plant characteristics are certainly very helpful e.g., leaf shapes,degree of hairiness,bloom characteristics...but in the MG's most commonly grown it is the sepals that are the most reliable identifying factor...

The sepals are the leaflike structures that surround and at least partially protect the outer flowerbud,flower and surround the seedpod...

Convolvulus tricolor is a relatively short non-twining bush or trailer
http://davesgarden.com/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=Convolvulus&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=tricolor&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=genus&images_prefs=both&Search=Search
seeds are small,somewhat rounded and have sandpaper type of little bumps on the seeds

Ipomoea nil has elongated sepals that do not curve at the tips and the seedpods remain erect pointed upwards
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/91303/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/91305/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/124448/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/55120/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/124555/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/124558/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/124570/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/124449/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/52400/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/55112/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/133776/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/124451/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/58540/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/48308/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/122995/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/51175/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/51605/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/54045/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/52403/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/81328/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/93492/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/92560/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/86675/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/59176/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/141295/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/122881/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/21682/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/85799/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/83796/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/88897/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/141797/
Ipomoea nil sepals and lower secondary bracts
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/722721/
Ipomoea nil seedpods
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/124569/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/113380/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/124556/
Very Unusual mixture of features
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/21747/

Ipomoea nil x Ipomoea purpurea
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/84351/

Ipomoea nil being grown out with Ipomoea purpurea
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/8850/

Ipomoea hederacea...sepal tips and/or upper sepal section will at some point curve backwards
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/125101/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/89494/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/89496/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/125102/

Ipomoea hederacea showing the secondary bracts following curvature of sepals
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/91084/

Ipomoea hederacea seedpods always remain erect and sometimes sepal curving does not fully develop until the seedpod more fully
matures
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/125103/

Ipomoea hederacea misentered as Ipomoea 'hirsuta'
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/9563/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/8855/


Ipmoea purpurea...sepals usually relatively short and wide at base...somewhat spatula shaped
Ipomoea purpurea seedpods always reflex to point towards the ground very shortly after fertilization
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/146083/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/22914/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/150688/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/87915/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/124659/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/62980/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/52392/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/52398/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/121827/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/140680/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/89094/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/127326/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/125289/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/22916/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/139514/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/55122/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/52417/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/55121/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/127772/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/56335/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/130642/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/130654/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/6856/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/7760/

Ipomoea purpurea seedpod reflexing towards to the ground
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/132998/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/31407/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/51543/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/65373/

Ipomoea purpurea seeds and empty seedpod showing inner walls
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/90979/

Ipomoea tricolor...short pointy sepals that hug the flowerbase and seedpod and never any hair with seedpods that remain erect
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/106781/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/70422/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/89823/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/90108/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/139616/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/98991/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/139618/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/51950/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/52390/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/72536/



Ipomoea tricolor
elongated triangulated seeds
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/9427/
Ipomoea tricolor seeds mixed with Ipomoea purpurea seeds
http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=3345139


Ipomoea purpurea entered as Ipomoea tricolor
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/8734/


Hope that helps to 'satisfy' your curiosity,...

TTY,...

Ron




This message was edited May 16, 2007 5:15 PM

Oh, these links are great Ron.. thanks, this is going to help me and alot of others that are just learning too. Lots of educational/visual info there.

edited: spelling error (as usual)

This message was edited May 16, 2007 7:08 PM

Nothing like a moment of clarity early-ish in the morning - thank you, Ron.

Thanks.

Some varieties of my plants are called nil by one company and purpurea by another.

I purchased a pack of "unknown" morning glories from an ebay vender, now maybe I can figure out what they are too.

Here's a pack that is supposed to be a Choice Blend of Ipomoea tricolor seeds, I don't think there is ONE tricolor seed in there, at least that is what it looks like to me.

Gourd - Yes,the seeds all look like Ipomoea purpurea to me...there is one beige just above bottom center that might be an Ipomoea tricolor...

So,what is the lesson we are learning >(?)

1A) Do not believe the botanical names as presented by seed companies and actually most suppliers because they usually do not really know and they usually do not really care about correct botanical names...


TTY,...

Ron

That is why I was so confused about the seeds. For awhile there, I thought all tan/whitish seeds were Tricolor. Then on the links you posted, the color has nothing to do with it, it is the shape. These things make a big difference to me.

A.