IPOMOEA IMPERATI

Family and Genus:- See- CONVOLVULACEAE/Sect. LEIOCALYX

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Batatas sinuatus, Convolvulus imperati, Convolvulus

sinuatus, Convolvulus stolonifer, Ipomoea deppeana, Ipomoea stolonifera,

Latrienda imperati.

Meaning:- Ipomoea (Gr) Resembling a worm (reference to the twining stems).

Imperati (L) For Ferrante Imperato (1550-1625), Italian botanist of

Naples.

General description:- Annual or perennial hairless herb.

Stems:-

1) Creeping and usually rooting at the nodes.

Leaves:-

1) More or less fleshy.

a) lamina, 1-5 cm, usually oblong, entire to deeply 3- to 5-lobed, broadly cuneate

to cordate at the base, obtuse to emarginate or 2-lobed at the apex.

Flowers:-

1) Usually solitary.

2) Sepals, 8-15 mm, acute to obtuse, mucronate.

3) Corolla, 35-50 mm, white or pale yellow, sometimes with a purple centre.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, usually 4-seeded.

2) Pollen grains, pantoporate the outer wall spinose.

Key features:-

1) Leaves, not sagittate.

2) Plant, without underground tubers.

3) Leaves, obtuse to emarginate or 2-lobed at apex.

Habitat:- Sandy beaches and maritime dunes, local but sometimes gregarious.

Distribution:- Balearic Is., Italy, Crete, N Africa and much of the E Mediterranean,

including Cyprus. Rare on Crete.

Flowering time:- Mainly May-Oct.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton

Status

Protection status (for threatened species): Greek Presidential Decree 67/1981.