Ipomoea cordatotriloba

Ipomoea cordatotriloba

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Convolvulaceae
Genus: Ipomoea
Species:
I. cordatotriloba
Binomial name
Ipomoea cordatotriloba

Ipomoea cordatotriloba is a species of morning glory native to the southeastern United States and Mexico.[1] Its common names include tievine and cotton morning glory.[2]

Description

I. cordatotriloba is an annual herb and can reach 5-6 ft (1.5-2 m) in height, with a maximum vine length of 15 ft (5 m).[3] Its purple and pink flowers typically bloom from July to October.

The leaves usually have three lobes but can have five as well. The center lobe pinches inward at the base. It has a muricate pedicel and the seeds have short hairs.[4]

Distribution and ecology

The confirmed range of I. cordatotriloba includes Alabama, Arkansas, Chihuahua, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tamaulipas, and Texas.[4]

I. cordatotriloba is "rare in truly natural habitats"[4] and does well in disturbed soil and along roadsides.[5] The species requires little water and has a tendency to spread.[3][6] It is usually found in lowlands below elevations of 1000 m.[4]

Taxonomy

The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 as Convolvulus carolinus.[7] It was reclassified as Ipomoea by German botanist August Wilhelm Dennstedt in 1810; there already existed an I. carolina, so the species was renamed to I. cordatotriloba.

There are two varieties:[1]

  • I. cordatotriloba var. cordatotriloba – sharppod morning glory[2]
  • I. cordatotriloba var. torreyana – Torrey's tievine[8]

I. australis, formerly considered a variety of I. cordatotriloba, was designated as its own species in 2020.[4][9] Unlike I. cordatotriloba, I. australis rarely has three-lobed leaves, and its pedicel and seeds are smooth. I. cordatotriloba is exclusively found in the Northern Hemisphere and I. australis is exclusively found in the Southern Hemisphere.[4]

I. cordatotriloba is closely related to the sweet potato, I. batatas, and is considered part of the Batatas clade of Ipomoea.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Ipomoea cordatotriloba". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  2. ^ a b Ipomoea cordatotriloba. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
  3. ^ a b "Ipomoea cordatotriloba". Native Plant Society of Texas. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Wood, John R. I.; Muñoz-Rodríguez, Pablo; Williams, Bethany R. M.; Scotland, Robert W. (2020-03-16). "A foundation monograph of Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) in the New World". PhytoKeys (143): 1–823. Bibcode:2020PhytK.143....1W. doi:10.3897/phytokeys.143.32821. ISSN 1314-2003. PMC 7298354. PMID 32577084.
  5. ^ Weakley, A. S. (2015). Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States. Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina Herbarium.
  6. ^ "Ipomoea cordatotriloba (Tievine)". Gardenia. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  7. ^ Staples, George; Jarvis, Charles E. (2006). "Typification of Linnaean plant names in Convolvulaceae". Taxon. 55 (4): 1019–1024. Bibcode:2006Taxon..55.1019S. doi:10.2307/25065700. ISSN 1996-8175. JSTOR 25065700.
  8. ^ Austin, Daniel F. (1988). "Nomenclatural Changes in the Ipomoea Batatas Complex (convolvulaceae)". Taxon. 37 (1): 184–185. Bibcode:1988Taxon..37..184A. doi:10.2307/1220955. ISSN 1996-8175. JSTOR 1220955.
  9. ^ "Ipomoea australis | International Plant Names Index". ipni.org. Retrieved 2025-09-16.