''Ipomoea violacea'' is a perennial species of ''

Ipomoea ''Ipomoea'' () is the largest genus in the plant family Convolvulaceae, with over 600 species. It is a large and diverse group, with common names including morning glory, Ipomoea aquatica, water convolvulus or water spinach, sweet potato, ...

'' that occurs throughout the world with the exception of the European continent. It is most commonly called beach moonflower or sea moonflower as the flowers open at night.

Description

The corolla of the flower of ''Ipomoea violacea'' is white, distinguishing this species from ''

Ipomoea tricolor ''Ipomoea tricolor'', the Mexican morning glory or just morning glory, is a species of flowering plant in the family (biology), family Convolvulaceae, native plant, native to the tropics of the Americas, and widely cultivated and naturalisation ...

'', commonly called ''Heavenly Blue''. It is sometimes mistaken for the

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

''Pearly Gates'', the corolla of which is also white, probably because of its misleading Latin binomial name, ''Ipomoea violacea'', "violacea" meaning purple.

Comparative taxonomies

A comparison of the taxonomy of the two plants shows that they belong to different

Subgenera In biology, a subgenus ( subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the ge ...

, consequently, ''Ipomoea violacea'' should not be used as a synonym for ''Ipomoea tricolor''. In exceptional cases where ''Ipomoea violacea'' has to be used as a synonym of ''Ipomoea tricolor'', one must specify the incorrect usage by using the abbreviation 'Auct.' for ''Auctorum''. ''Ipomoea violacea:'' :* Genus: ''Ipomoea'' ::*Subgenus: ''Eriospermum'' :::*Section: ''Erpipomoea'' ''Ipomoea tricolor:'' :*Genus: ''Ipomoea'' ::*Subgenus: ''Quamoclit'' :::*Section: ''Tricolor''

Ergoline Alkaloids

Ipomoea violacea is no longer a synonym for Ipomoea tricolor.

contains ergolines, along with 24 other Ipomoeas, but I. violacea is not among them.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q135689 violacea Night-blooming plants Pantropical flora Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus