TAXONOMY 
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woody, perennial climbing plants with underground parts sometimes 
swollen into tuberous roots (Jalap, Sweet Potato, Wild Man of the 
Earth). Stems rarely short, upright or tufted, usually elongate 
and circumnutating in action. Vascular bundles frequently bi¬ 
collateral. Leaves alternate, simple, exstipulate, varying from 
cordate to cordate-sagittal, to broad reniform to reniform, palmately 
lobed to palmatifid to palmately-compound (.Ipomcea shows all these 
transitions). Stem and leaves frequently contain a dull, viscous, 
watery to milky-white juice. Inflorescence a scorpioid cyme be¬ 
coming reduced in some forms to a solitary flower. Flowers penta- 
