8. Ipomoea tricolor Cav. (morning glory)

Map 1602

Plants annual (sometimes perennial farther south). Stems 40–300 cm long, glabrous. Leaves long-petiolate. Leaf blades 2–12 cm long, unlobed, broadly ovate in outline, tapered to a sharply pointed tip, shallowly to deeply cordate at the base, glabrous, the margins entire. Flowers in loose clusters of 3–8(–15), rarely solitary, the stalks glabrous. Sepals similar in size and shape, 4–7 mm long, narrowly ovate to lanceolate, tapered to a sharply pointed tip, glabrous, with relatively broad, pale margins. Corollas 5–9 cm long, funnelform, the tube widened gradually toward the tip, blue, purple, reddish purple, or white. Stamens not exserted. Ovary usually 2-locular, the stigma 2-lobed. Fruits ovoid, the main body 9–14 mm long, the persistent style 5–9 mm long, usually hairy. Seeds 5–7 mm long, the surface glabrous. September–October.

Introduced, known thus far from a single collection from St. Francois County (native of Mexico, Central America; introduced sporadically in mostly the southern U.S.). Roadsides.

This cultivated morning glory is grown widely on fences and trellises in the United States. A number of cultivars are available commercially, especially cv. ‘Heavenly Blue,’ which has large, blue corollas. Plants are propagated from seeds and reseed themselves readily.