CONVOLVULACEAE 385 



the enlarged sepals, the epicarp circumscissile above the middle, the endo- 

 carp 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. 0. turpethum 



Leaves deeply palmately 7-lobed; flowers yellow; a coarse woody vine with 



stout terete stems 2. 0. tuberosum 



1. O. tirrpethum (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 cm 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 longi the limb 4 cm wide. Capsule globose, 

 1 to 1.6 cm 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 tuherosa 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.S cm 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 m tropical 

 America, 1 in the Philippines. 



1. 8. 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, 



11156B ^26 



