Ipomoea littoralis Blume

Convolvulaceae

Blume, C. (1826) Bijdr. : 713. Type: Java?.

Coastal Morning Glory; Whiteflower Beach Morning Glory

A slender vine not exceeding a stem diameter of 2 cm.

Leaf blades about 4-8 x 3.5-6 cm, petioles about 3.5-5 cm long.

Sepals about 8 x 4 mm. Corolla about 40 mm long, centre much darker, reddish purple in colour. Stamens variable in length. Pollen minutely spinulose. Disk fleshy, shallowly cup-shaped, surrounding the base of the ovary.

Fruits brown, depressed globular, about 5 x 6-10 mm. Calyx lobes persistent at the base. Each lobe about 7-8 x 4-5 mm. Seeds up to 4 per fruit. Seeds black, about 4 mm wide and shaped like a quarter of an orange.

Features not available.

Occurs in CYP, NEQ, CEQ and southwards as far as south-eastern Queensland. Altitudinal range not known but most collections were slightly above sea level. Usually grows in maritime situations and climbs over the vegetation in beach forest. Also occurs in Madagascar and other islands in the Indian Ocean, Asia, Malesia, the Pacific islands, Mexico and the West Indies.

This species may have medicinal properties.

Calystegia affinis Endl., Prodromus Florae Norfolkicae : 51(1833), Type: Crescit in insula Norfolk. (Ferd. Bauer.). Convolvulus denticulatus (R.Br.) Spreng., Systema Vegetabilium 1 : 603(1824).