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Ipomoea cairica

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A plant with exposed caudex from Kakteen.cz.


A large plant by  Sheldon Navie, Keyserver.lucidcentral.org.


Photo by Sheldon Navie, Keyserver.lucidcentral.org.

Author:  Robert Sweet, 1826
Family:  CONVOLVULACEAE
Origin:  Angola, Bangladesh, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Congo, Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Island, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, Nigeria, Ogasawara-shoto, Oman, Palestine, Rodrigues, Rwanda, Réunion, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South China Sea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Yemen, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe (Australia, Southern US)
Soil:  Rich
Water:  Medium - Maximum
Sun:  Medium
Thickness:  5 Centimetres
Height:  2-4 Meters
Flower:  Lavender
Propagate:  Seeds
Names:  Cairo Morning-glory, Railroad-Creeper
Synonyms:  Convolvulus cairicus, Carl Linnaeus, 1759.
Ipomoea palmata
Forssk. 1775.
Ipomoea senegalensi
Lam. 1791.
Ipomoea pentaphylla
Cav. 1794. 
Convolvulus tuberculatus
Desr. 1792.
Ipomoea stipulacea
Jacq. 1797.
Ipomoea cavanillesii
Roem. & Schult, 1819.
Convolvulus limphaticus
Vell. 1825.
Batatas senegalensis
G. Don, 1837.
Batatas cavanillesii
,G. Don, 1838.
Ipomoea tuberculata
  Roem. & Schult. 1819.
Ipomoea vesiculosa
P. Beauv. 1819.
Ipomoea funaria Larrañaga, 1923.
Exocroa egyptiaca, Raf. 1838.

This member of the Convolvulaceae family was given this name by Robert Sweet in 1826. It is found all the way from the tropical Africa throughout Asia, and have furthermore been spread in Australia, southern North America and other warm places. It preferring a rich but well drained soil with some to much water and some sun. The caudex can grow to five centimetres in diameter, and rather long. The vines can reach two to five meters. The large flowers are lavender.

The generic name Ipomoea is derived from the Greek ἴψ, ἰπός; íps, ipós, meaning 'woodworm', and ὅμοιος; hómoios, meaning 'resembling'. It referring to their twining habit.  The species name means 'from Cairo'.


Photo by Sheldon Navie, Keyserver.lucidcentral.org.