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Ipomcea (From Ips Bindweed and omoios)
(from Ips, Bindweed, and omoios, similar, because of the close resemblance of this genus to Convolvulus). Including Batatas, Calonyction, Exogonium, Pharbitis, and Quamoclit. ORD. Convolvulaceoe. An extensive genus (over 400 species have been described) of stove or hardy, evergreen or deciduous, twining or creeping herbs, rarely shrubs, widely distributed over all warm climates, with a few species extending into North America. Flowers purple, violet, scarlet, pink blue, or white, rarely yellow, often showy; corolla salver-shaped, campanulate or tubular; limb spreading, entire or angular. Leaves alternate, entire, lobed, or divided. Some of the stove species of Ipomoea are among the prettiest of plants for covering trellises or pillars, particularly over paths, where the beautifully-coloured flowers may be seen to advantage. They are of free growth, and like plenty of root room, such as may be secured by planting in a border inside the house. If this is impracticable, large pots or boxes must be substituted. The hardier kinds succeed in the open air during summer, if forwarded a little in a warm frame, and afterwards planted out in sheltered positions. All the annual species, whether stove or half-hardy, may be readily raised from seed, which should be sown early in spring, in a warm house. A good plan is to place two or three seeds each in small pots, and afterwards transfer the plants bodily into larger sizes. They should be trained on small temporary stakes until established or finally planted out. A suitable compost consists of fibry loam, rotten manure, and leaf soil, which should be mixed together and used somewhat lumpy. Evergreen Ipomoeas of perennial duration may be propagated by cuttings of short side shoots, placed in peaty soil, and in a brisk bottom heat; or by layers. The latter method is that best suited for I. Horsfallioe, one of the most beautiful winter-flowering species that does not succeed well from cuttings. I. Learii is free-growing, and requires plenty of room; it is one of the best stove species, producing bright blue flowers throughout the autumn. I. Aitoni (Aiton's). fl. pale purple; corolla campanulate; tube thickened; peduncles many-flowered, longer than the petioles. April to October. l. cordate, roundish, three-lobed; lobes acute. h. 10ft. Stove evergreen twiner. (B. R. 1794.) I. alatipes (wing-footed). fl., corolla salmon-colour, 3in. in diameter; calyx large, ovate, 1in. or more long; pedicels wingless but very tortuose, frequently furnished with glands; peduncles axillary, with a very broad membranaceous wing on each side, two to four-flowered. June. l. 2in. to 3in. long, cordate, acuminate, with a deep obtuse sinus at the base, and very obtuse rounded lobes, glabrous. Stems and branches also glabrous. Panama, 1862. Stove. (B. M. 5330.) I. albivenia (white-veined). fl. pure white, large, solitary, terminating the branchlets; inside of the tube deep purple. August and September. l. roundish-cordate, somewhat repand, having the veins elevated, and woolly beneath. Algoa Bay, 1824. Stove evergreen twiner. (B. R. 1116.) I. Batatas (Batatas). This is the correct name of the plant described in this work as Batatas edulis.
I. bignonioides (Bignonia-like). This is the correct name of the plant described in this work as Batatas bignonioides.
I. Bona-nox (Good-night).* fl. white; corolla undivided; tube very long; peduncles one to three-flowered. July and August. l. cordate, entire or angular. h. 10ft. Tropical America, 1773. Plant very smooth. Stove annual twiner. (B. M. 752.) I. cathartica (cathartic). fl. purple; peduncles one to three-flowered. August and September. l. cordate or cordately three-lobed. h. 10ft. West Indies, 1839. Stove evergreen climber. (B. M. 4289, under name Pharbitis cathartica.) There is a deep rose-coloured variety figured in B. R. 999, under name of Convolvulus pudibundus.
I. chryseides (golden-flowered). fl. yellow, small; peduncles stiff, two to seven-flowered. July to October. l. oblong-cordate, sub-hastate, entire or often angular, also three-lobed. Stem twisted. Tropical Asia, Africa, and Australia, 1817. Stove evergreen twiner. (B. R. 270.) I. crassipes (thick-peduncled). fl. purple; sepals very unequal; peduncles one-flowered, bibracteate, thickened above. August. l. oblong-lanceolate, entire, acute. h. 4ft. South Africa, 1842. Greenhouse. (B. M. 4068.) I. dasysperma (thick-seeded). fl. bright sulphur-yellow, with a purplish tube, rather large, numerous; peduncles one to three-flowered. August. l. pedate; lobes five to seven, unequal. India, 1815. Stove annual. (B. R. 86, under name of I. tuberculata.) I. ficifolia (Fig-leaved). fl. purple; peduncles three-flowered; calyx covered with black hairs. November. l. three-lobed; lateral lobes rounded, middle narrower and longer. Buenos Ayres, 1840. Stove deciduous twiner. (B. R. 1841, 13.) I. filicaulis (slender-stalked).* fl., corolla white or cream-colour, with a bright purple eye in the throat, scarcely 3/4in. broad; peduncle filiform, solitary, mostly bearing two flowers, with slender pedicels, the upper expanding first July. l. alternate, 2in. to 3in. long, less than 1/2in. wide, glabrous, linear-oblong, acuminate. Stems much branched, rambling rather than climbing. Tropical regions, 1778. Greenhouse annual. (B. M. 5426.) I. Gerrardi (Gerrard's). fl. pure white, with a yellow throat, very fragrant, large, numerously produced. l. roundish, cordate. Stems 10ft. to 15ft. long. Natal, 1867. Stove evergreen twiner. (B. M. 5651.) I. hederacea (Ivy-like).* fl. light blue; calyx hairy; peduncles one or two-flowered. July to September. l. cordate, three-lobed; lateral lobes acuminate, intermediate acute. h. 10ft. Tropical regions, 1597. Half-hardy annual. SYN. I. Nil. (B. M. 188, under name of Convolvulus Nil.) A resin (called Pharbitisin), used in medicine, is obtained from the seeds of this plant.
I. h. limbata (white-edged limbed). fl., corolla 2in. long; tube pale rose-purple; limb deep violet-purple, edged with white, 2 1/2in. in diameter. North Australia, 1868. A beautiful greenhouse annual. SYN. Pharbitis limbata (under which name it is figured in B. M. 5720).
I. Hookerii (Hooker's). Synonymous with I. rubro-coerulea. I. Horsfalliae (Mrs. Horsfall's).* fl. deep rich glossy rose-colour; peduncles about as long as the petioles, bearing dichotomous cymes of flowers. Winter. l. quintately digitate; leaflets lanceolate, quite entire, with undulated margins. West Indies, 1833. A showy and handsome stove evergreen twiner. (B. M. 3315.) I. Jalapa (jalap). fl. red, white, or light pink-purple; corolla long, tubular; tube ventricose above; peduncles two-flowered, longer than the petioles. August. l. membranous, cordate, acuminated, entire. South United States, 1733. A greenhouse or half-hardy, tuberous-rooted, evergreen twiner, the root of which sometimes attains a weight of 40lb. or 50lb., but is hardly purgative. The true Jalap is l. Purga. (B. M. 1572, under name of Convolvulus Jalapa.) I. Learii (Lear's).* fl. intensely bright blue, numerously produced. July to October. Ceylon, 1839. A very rapid-growing and handsome stove evergreen twiner. (B. M. 3928, under name of Pharbitis Learii.) I. muricata (muricated). fl. red; sepals muricated on the back; peduncles axillary, one-flowered. June and July. l. glabrous, sessile, many parted. Stems filiform, branched. h. 1ft. South America, 1840. Stove. (B. M. 4301.) I. mutabilis (changeable). fl. blue, large, numerous, cymosely aggregate on the tops of the peduncles. May to September. l. cordate, entire or three-lobed, acuminated, hairy above, tomentose beneath. South America, 1812. Stove evergreen twiner. (B. R. 39.) I. Nationis (Nation's). fl., calyx 1/2in. long, erect, mucronate-acuminate; corolla hypocrateriform; tube cylindrical, whitish, minutely pubescent, 2in. to 2 1/2in. long, and as many lines in diameter; limb rich orange-scarlet, spreading horizontally, 2in. in diameter, five-lobed; peduncles solitary, axillary, generally three-flowered. Summer. l. membranous, cordate, acuminate, entire, 3in. to 5in. long; petiole 2in. to 4in. long. Stems long, slender, branched, glabrous. Peru, 1863. Greenhouse perennial. (B. M. 5432, under name of Quamoclit Nationis.) I. Nil (Nil was the name first used by the Arab physicians for this plant). A synonym of I. hederacea.
I. pandurata (lyre-shaped).* fl. white, with a purple throat, large; peduncles many-flowered. June. l. cordate, acuminated, rather downy beneath. United States, &c., 1776. Hardy perennial twiner. (B. M. 1939, under name of Convolvulus panduratus; B. M. 1603, under name of C. candicans.) I. platensis (Plata). fl. violet; calyx very smooth; peduncles one-flowered, shorter than the leaves. June to September. l. palmate. h. 10ft. South America, 1817. Stove evergreen twiner. (B. R. 333.) I. pulchella (neat). fl. purple; lobes of corolla emarginate, plicate; peduncles twisted, one to three-flowered. December and January. l. quinate; leaflets petiolate, elliptic, acuminate. h. 10ft. Ceylon. Stove evergreen twiner. (B. M. 4305.) I. Purga (purge).* True Jalap Plant. fl. purplish-rose; corolla limb broad and flat; peduncles generally one-flowered, longer than the petioles. Autumn. l. sagitto-cordate, acuminate, glabrous. Xalapa, 1838. Stove evergreen twiner. SYN. Exogonium Purga (under which name it is figured in B. R. xxxiii. 49). I. purpurea (purple).* fl. dark purple; calyx hispid; peduncles many-flowered. June to September. l. cordate, undivided. h. 10ft. Tropical America, 1629. This hardy annual is the well-known and popular Convolvulus major of seed catalogues. SYN. Convolvulus purpurea (B. M. 113). I. p. incarnata (B. M. 1682) and I. p. varia (B. M. 1005) are two varieties. I. Quamoclit (Quamoclit).* fl. dark red, solitary. July to September. l. pinnate; pinnae filiform. h. 6ft. Tropical America, 1629. Greenhouse twining annual.
I. rubro-caerulea (reddish-blue.)* fl. white in the bud, with the limb of a rich lake-red, which, when the flower is fully expanded, becomes of a fine purplish-blue; peduncles three or four-flowered, thickened, somewhat racemose. November, December. l. on long petioles, deeply cordate, acuminate. South Mexico, 1830. Stove evergreen twiner. SYNS. I. Amiral Grasset (R. H. 1880, p. 270), I. Hookerii. (B. M. 3297.) I. setosa (bristly). fl. purplish-red, salver-shaped; peduncles robust, many-flowered, trichotomously cymose. August to October. l. naked, cordate, three-lobed; lobes dentately sinuated. Branches, petioles, and peduncles hispid from bristles Brazil. Stove deciduous twiner. (B. R. 335.) I. sinuata (sinuated). fl. white, with a reddish throat; peduncles one-flowered, longer than the leaves. June to September. l. deeply seven-parted; segments sinuated or pinnatifid. Stem, petioles, and peduncles very pilose. Tropical America, 1813. Greenhouse evergreen twiner. I. Tweediei (Tweedie's). fl. purple; corolla with elongated tube; sepals ovate, acute, unequal; peduncles one or two-flowered. June and July. l. cordate, acute, entire. h. 6ft. Panama, 1838. Stove evergreen twiner. (B. M. 3978.) I. tyrianthina (tyrianthine). fl. dark purple; calyx villous; peduncles many-flowered. August to November. l. roundish-cordate, acuminate, villous. Stems fruticose, warted. h. 10ft. Mexico, 1838. Greenhouse deciduous twiner. SYN. Pharbitis tyrianthina (under which name it is figured in B. M. 4024). I. versicolor (various-coloured). fl. bright rosy-crimson at first, changing as they expand, first to orange and then to pale yellow, disposed in scorpioidal racemes; corolla limb salver-shaped, with a swollen tube. June. l. cordate at the base, three-lobed. South Mexico, 1841. (B. R. 1842, 24, under name of Mina lobata.)