I.D. for this morning glory and any other info?

I've looked through the Plant Files and some of the threads here, but can't find anything very similar to this morning glory. It may be fairly common -- I am certainly not a morning glory expert and this is the only one I grow, other than I. coccinea (the best hummingbird attractor I've found!).

This morning glory was beautifully covering the banks of a concrete bridge near my house. I finally had to stop one day for a closer look and found some seeds, which I planted in my front curbside garden. The first year, I was disappointed because I didn't see any growth. Second year, I was pleased to have a few flowers. Third year, there was a nice display. Fourth year, it has totally overtaken my front hedges and is spreading everywhere!

As you can see in the photo, it has "star-shaped" leaves which I have seen on other wild morning glories around here (a white one with pink center is especially prevalent). It spreads by long mottled stems that don't really root, but just spread flat across the ground and, of course, intertwine in any plant or anything else nearby.

I really enjoy its beauty, but just need to make a more focused effort to keep it confined to one corner of my curbside garden, if such a task is possible.

Thanks for any help you can provide for an I.D. or other info!

Jeremy

Here's another photo of the flower.

Jeremy

Very Pretty . . .

Possibly Merremia cairica ??

Emma

Beautiful color

Could Merrimia cairica be a synonym for Ipoemoea cairica? The I. cairica sure looks like it could be it!

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53527/

Isn't it a funny coincidence -- all the people above on this thread are from Jacksonville, but in different states. LOL

By the way, if anyone wants seeds of this plant, I should soon have plenty of seeds, but be warned -- it does spread enthusiastically so you may want to grow it in a pot with a large trellis.

Jeremy

Hi JaxFlaGardener-Jeremy,

Yes,the vine you have is Ipomoea cairica as entered in the PlanFiles here
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/153770/

Nice color...

Ron

Thanks for the positive I.D., Ron! How does a plant get all the way from Cairo to a creek in north Florida?! I'll never know, but its beautiful color probably helped in humans spreading the seeds. LOL

I see one of the plant's common names is "Mile a Minute Vine," which from my experience is well deserved. It does tend to spread in all directions with gusto!

Jeremy

Hi Jeremy,

Ipomoea cairica is still somewhat of an unknown as far as orignial native distribution...not all botanical names are accurate as per describing the plants...

The Convolvulaceae expert that I look to currently regards Ipomoea cairica as a New World species along with the majority of other species in subgenus Quamoclit...

Plant species get spread around by natural methods like cyclone / monsoon flood waters,ocean currents,hurricanes , tornadoes and other natural vectors...humans certainly have assisted many species to spread by importing plants that they happen to like...Ipomoea cairica usually roots easily from pieces of vine hence water dispersal...

Ipomoea cairica is pantropical and it is often the case that pantropical species are easily spread by non-human assisted means...tainted seed and crop supplies also contribute to the spread of species worldwide...

Hope that helps...

Ron

P.S. - The PlantFiles entry could use some nice closeup photos of the developing seedpods in various stages of development......



This message was edited Jul 3, 2008 1:56 AM

Hi Jeremy . . .
When you do have seeds I would love to have some.
Yes, neat that you have the 'Jacksonville' posts.

Thanks,
Emma

wow pretty

I would like to see a close-up of the leaves, please. I have been pulling up small vines that have similar leaves on it. (I thought it was something else that I definitely didn't want growing wild in my yard.) And how big are the blooms?

Thanks, Ron, for the additional information on seed dispersal. It does seem this morning glory has a widespread distribution around the world. One of my interests in plants is how they relate to geological evolution. For instance, the Horsetails/Bottle Rush (Equisetum spp.) are some of the earliest plants and they inhabit nearly all areas of the world, possibly due to their being present when the unified land mass began to split up in the continents we know today. It could be that the I. cairica was around early on and also got distributed by continental drift, but I think your explanations are far more plausible.

EmmG - please send me a D-mail so I can keep it handy to remember your request for seeds. I tend to wander off and forget just about everything most of the time. LOL

beckyg- I will try to get a closeup of the leaves, but my digital camera is about as old as they come (one of the first Polaroid digitals) and it doesn't do closeups without getting fuzzy images. Actually, a current house guest has a fairly good digital, so maybe I can get him to get some photos of the leaves. The star-shaped leaves in the first photo above are fairly representational of the vine. The flowers are about 4 inches across, and the leaves vary in size (possibly by the amount of sun they get) from about 1.5 to 3 inches. A noticeable feature up close is the brown and tan mottling on the vine, similar to lizard or snake skin. The vines are about 1/8 inch in diameter and can can extend about 30 ft or more running across the top of the soil without sending out feeder roots to attach to the soil.

I really do enjoy seeing the display of morning glory flowers spread all over my azaleas, podocarpus hedges, nearby trees and shrubs, but I'm afraid if I let the vine go further unrestrained, it is going to suffocate everything! There is another fairly common morning glory that I see around here unattended on fences and roadsides with similar star-shaped leaves. The flower is white with a reddish-purple center. I'll try to get a photo of it if it returned this year to the spots where I have previously seen it.

Jeremy

Jeremy - Is this the other pant that you see growing in your area with the 6-lobed leaves
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/87166/


This message was edited Jul 3, 2008 2:04 AM

Yes, Ron, it sure looks a lot like that. I haven't noticed any of it blooming this year, but I'll keep an eye out. It was blooming on a fence by a RR track about a mile from my house last year.

Jeremy

Just to provide an update: On my way to a medical appointment today, I spotted a fence with a good covering of Alamo Vine (Merremia dissecta). On my way back home after the appointment, I stopped at the fence (which just happened to be near a busy I-10 exit and entrance ramp!) and gathered a bunch of the seed pods. I had to make do with an empty bottle of grape soda I found at the site for my collection jar, but I don't think the aroma of the dregs of grape soda will adversely affect the seeds (it may be the secret to great germination rates! LOL)

For those interested in the M. dissecta seeds, please send me a D-mail. I should be able to mail the seeds out soon along with the seeds for I. cairica that some of you requested.

Jeremy

I keep checking my I. cairica vines (and there are plenty of them!), but they don't seem to be setting any seed. Are they missing a specific pollinator maybe? I have plenty of honeybees and bumblebees, but haven't noticed them visiting the I. cairica flowers. Is there a way I can hand-pollinate the floweers using a Q-tip or some other implement?

I saw the I. cairica growing along a fence by I-95 near my house. I may be able to see if any seeds are on those plants.

Jeremy

Jeremy - The bees should be able to cross pollinate the flowers adequately,although partial self-incompatibility sometimes occurs in I.cairica and other MG's >usually perennials...


The pollen may not be released until the weather cools off somewhat and the plants may develop seedpods on their own...sometimes pollen may not be released if the plants are too dry...

Can you see fluffy anthers on the flowers indicating that pollen is being produced and released (?)...

I don't recommend using cotton swabs as they are very good at picking up pollen,but poor at releasing it...

You could try hand pollinating the flowers by using a pair of tweezers to remove the stamens and then hold the stamen with the pollen laden anthers like a 'paintbrush' facing the pistil to paint the surface of the stigma with pollen...be sure the anthers are fluffy looking as an indication that the anthers have properly developed and released the pollen...this procedure is best done early in the morning as soon after the flowers have opened...


You could also just push the fluffy anthers up against the stigma by using any instrument that works like a very thin stick...

Hope that helps...

TTY,...

Ron

Thanks, Ron, for the info. I'll keep an eye on them and look for the pollen to develop and try some hand-pollinating if I don't see seeds coming on their own. The vine has spread for 50 ft or more, but it seems to have spread by VERY long runners rather than reseeding. I am amazed when I pull on a vine how long it can be without rooting anywhere else along the vine length.

Jeremy