IPOMOEA IMPERATI

Family:- CONVOLVULACEAE/Sect. LEIOCALYX

Common Names:- None

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; 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.