IPOMCEA 



IPOMOEA 



1657 



sometimes prostrate, diffuse or erect: Ivs. alternate, 

 entire, lobed or parted, often varying greatly on the 

 same plant: fls. usually showy, borne singly or in cymes 

 on axillary peduncles; corolla funnelform, salyerform or 

 bell-shaped (in one species bag-shaped), the limb some- 

 times entire, but usually 5-angled or 5-lobed (a 5-petalled 

 form of 1. purpurea occurs as a monstrosity), red, 

 purple, blue, white or yellow, in various shades and 

 mixtures; calyx without the bracts at the base, which 

 appear in some species of Convolvulus, but the outer 

 sepals are commonly larger. The fls. of most species 

 open in early morning and last but a few hours under 

 bright sunlight, hence the popular name. A few open 

 only at nightfall. Over 400 species of which more than 

 200 occur in Trop. Amer., chiefly in Mex. 



"The Japanese morning-glories," also called "Impe- 

 rial" and "Emperor" morning-glories, were introduced 

 to the American trade from Japan in 1895. They are 

 probably selected strains of /. hederacea, although some 

 botanists consider them to be of hybrid origin, pos- 

 sibly /. hederacea X I. tricolor. Maximowicz referred 

 them to /. hederacea, and this appears to be the more 

 reasonable disposition. The culture of the "asagoa" in 

 Japan amounted to a popular craze about 1830, the 

 equivalent of $14 to $18 sometimes being paid for a 

 single seed of the rare sorts. With political disturbances 

 came a decline of interest, but more recently the popu- 

 lar fancy for morning-glories has again revived. The 

 Japanese gardeners grow their plants almost entirely in 

 pots, and by constant attention have made them vary 

 into many curious oddities in flower and foliage. Several 

 finely illustrated books on the morning-glory alone are 

 published in Japan. See also "Century Magazine," 

 55:281 (1897). The Japanese ipomeas are sold in 

 this country mostly in strains, each package of seed 

 giving flowers of many forms and colors. There are 

 some inferior strains offered, and the flowers from these 

 are often disappointing; yet as a class the Japanese 

 morning-glories are the most gorgeous and versatile 

 of garden ipomeas. If the seeds are notched they will 

 generally give bloom in six weeks from sowing. 



Morning-glories are among the least exacting of gar- 

 den plants as regards soil and site. Most species love a 

 strong soil and sunny site, with plenty of water; but 

 they will make the best of much that is uncongenial. 

 The seeds of the annual kinds may be sown directly out- 

 of-doors, but are preferably started indoors, at least in 

 the North. If the plants are allowed to become slightly 

 pot-bound before being transplanted, they will come 

 into bloom earlier. Germination may be hastened and 

 also made more certain by filing a small notch in each 

 seed, or by soaking the seeds in warm water about two 

 hours. The "moonflower" and the "Japanese morning- 

 glories" particularly are likely to germinate poorly 

 unless these precautions are taken. 



The perennial ipomeas are grown from seeds in some 

 cases, but mostly from cuttings of well-ripened wood, 

 layers, or division of the rootstocks. Some of the green- 

 house species, notably /. Horsfalliss, rarely produce 

 seed and are rooted from stem-cuttings with great diffi- 

 culty. These are often propagated successfully by 

 grafting well-ripened shoots on pieces of their own 

 roots, or the roots of 7. pandurata. I. ternata roots 

 from cuttings more readily, and 7. Learii and 7. Jalapa 

 are easily propagated from cuttings. 



The rapid growth and dense foliage of most garden 

 ipomeas make them especially valuable for covering 

 arbors, verandas, walls, and for screening unsightly 

 objects. 7. purpurea, I. tricolor, I. hederacea are 

 the most popular annual species for this purpose; and 

 7. Learii, I. setosa and 7. pandurata are among the 

 best perennials. In the South, the perennials may be 

 carried through the winter outside by cutting off the 

 stems and mulching the roots heavily in the fall; in 

 the North the tubers should be taken up and wintered 

 like dahlias, keeping them perfectly dry in a cool 



greenhouse or frost-proof cellar. 7. leptophylla is 

 valuable for very dry soils. 7. Bona-nox (see Calonyc- 

 tion aculeatum) is worthy of a place in every garden. 



The tender perennials are seen to advantage when 

 trained to pillars, trellises, or along the roof of a green- 

 house. Their roots should be given plenty of room to 

 forage and their tops to spread. 7. Horsfallise and its 

 closely related species, 7. ternata, are very satisfactory 

 for this purpose. After flowering, the strong shoots 

 should be cut back and the plant rested. Several 

 species, particularly 7. Learii, I. tricolor and 7. 

 hederacea, make excellent pot-plants if they are kept 

 somewhat pot-bound to induce flowering. The roots of 

 nearly all the perennial species are more or less purga- 

 tive; particularly 7. Purga, from which comes the jalap 

 of commerce, 7. Jalapa and 7. cathartica. I. Batatas 

 is the common sweet potato. 



The trade names of ipomeas are endlessly mixed. 

 Thus, 7. mexicana of the catalogues may be 7. hede- 

 racea, I. digitata, I. Jalapa, I. Bona-nox, I. Learii 

 or 7. tricolor; but is rarely the true 7. mexicana of 

 Gray. "Moonflower" is often applied indiscriminately 

 to several species of Ipqmcea, but it should be restricted 

 to species of Calonyction. It is evident that most of 

 the plants now sold as 7. grandiflpra are forms of Cal- 

 onyction aculeatum. I. hybrida is a trade name for 

 strains of 7. purpurea and 7. tricolor. The "tree 

 ipomcea" is 7. fistulosa. The "Japanese" or "Imperial" 

 morning-glories may be referred to 7. hederacea. Other 

 popular catalogue names are: Double morning-glory 

 is mostly 7. purpurea fl.-pl.; Brazilian morning-glory is 

 7. setosa; hardy or perennial moonflower is 7. pandurata; 

 Ipomoea, Heavenly Blue, is 7. tricolor. 



INDEX. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



A. Plants erect, stout, perennial, shrubby 



or tree-like. 

 B. Sts. erect or ascending from a 



tuberous root, 

 c. Corolla white or cream-colored: 



Ivs. lanceolate 1. longifolia 



cc. Corolla purple. 



D. Lvs. linear 2. leptophylla 



DD. Lvs. hastate and toothed 3. stans 



BB. Sts. subshrubby, 4~10 ft. high: cor- 

 olla pink-purple 4. fistulosa 



BBB. Sts. woody, erect: arborescent: corolla 



white. 



c. Foliage more or less densely pubes- 

 cent; Ivs. ovate, cordate 5. arborescens 



cc. Foliage glabrous; Ivs. ovate-lanceo- 

 late, rounded or truncate at base.. 6. Wolcottiana 

 AA. Plants twining, climbing or prostrate. 



