CONVOLVULACEAE 385 
the enlarged sepals, the epicarp citcumscissile above the middle, the endo- 
earp at length breaking irregularly, not by regular valves. (From Latin 
“cover” in allusion to the sepals covering the fruit.) 
Species about 15 in all tropical countries, 2 in the Philippines. 
Leaves entire; flowers white; an herbaceous vine with 4-winged stems. 
1. O. turpethum 
Leaves deeply palmately 7-lobed; flowers yellow; a coarse woody vine with 
CNT go ooo felted Lah Bika a i Sas a Se Se itl ca 2. O. tuberosum 
1. O. turpethum (L.) Manso. 
A scandent, herbaceous, slightly pubescent or nearly glabrous vine reach- 
ing a length of 5 m or more, the stems often purplish, prominently 2- to 4- 
angled and narrowly winged. Leaves ovate, entire, 5 to 15 cm long, entire, 
narrowed upward to the acute or acuminate apex, base broad, subcordate or 
truncate. Cymes axillary, peduncled, few-flowered, the bracts oblong, thin, 
caducous, about 2.5 em long. Sepals green, ovate to oblong-ovate, the outer 
two 2 to 3 cm long, larger than the inner three, pubescent, persistent, 
accrescent, and somewhat fleshy, usually becoming purplish in fruit. Co- 
rolla white, campanulate, 4 cm long, the limb 4 em wide. Capsule globose, 
1 to 1.5 em in diameter. 
In thickets, common, fl. Oct._Apr.; widely distributed in the Philippines, 
possibly introduced. Tropical Asia to the Mascarene Islands, Malaya, 
Australia, and Polynesia. 
*2. O. TUBEROSUM (L.) Choisy (Ipomoea tuberosa L.). 
- A coarse, woody, perennial, glabrous vine reaching a length of 15 m 
and 10 cm or more in diameter. Leaves 12 to 20 cm in diameter, very deeply 
palmately 7-parted, the lobes lanceolate, acuminate, entire, base cordate. 
Flowers about 5 cm long, axillary, solitary, or several on a peduncle, 
long-peduncled, the peduncle thickened at the apex. Sepals green, about 
2.5 em long. Corolla campanulate, yellow, about 5 cm in diameter. Cap- 
sule globose, 2.5 to 3 cm in diameter, loosely enveloped by the accrescent 
calyx-lobes. Seeds large, about 2 cm long. 
Occasionally cultivated, fl. all the year. A native of tropical America, 
now cultivated in many other tropical countries. 
- 6. STICTOCARDIA Hallier fils 
Coarse twining vines with ovate-cordate leaves and axillary flowers, 
the peduncles 1- to 3-flowered. Flowers large, pink or purplish. Sepals 
5, imbricate, subequal, accrescent and completely enveloping the fruit, 
strongly imbricate, mucilaginous when fresh. Corolla funnel-shaped, large, 
showy, the limb shortly lobed. Stamens included. Ovary 4-celled, 4- 
ovuled. Capsule indehiscent, 4-celled, 4-seeded, entirely enclosed by the en- 
larged sepals. (From the Greek “punctured” and “heart” alluding to the 
characters of the fruit and its covering.) 
Species about 4, in Africa, Madagascar, and Asia, 1 introduced in tropical 
America, 1 in the Philippines. 
1. S. tiliaefolia (Lam.) Hallier f. 
A scandent, twining, herbaceous, glabrous or nearly glabrous plant of 
indefinite length, the stems terete. Leaves ovate or orbicular, acute or 
shortly acuminate, entire, base prominently cordate, 6 to 15 cm long. 
Flowers axillary, short-pedicelled, usually solitary. Sepals green, obtuse, 
111555——25 
