Phil Bendle Collection:Ipomoea indica (Blue Morning Glory)

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Convolvulaceae
Genus: Ipomoea
Species: I. indica
Binomial name: Ipomoea indica. 
Common names: Blue morning glory,

This plant is poisonous
Visit [[../plants-toxic-if-eaten-by-man.html|http://www.terrain.net.nz/friends-of-te-henui-group/plants-toxic-if-eaten-by-man.html]]

Ipomoea indica is a tender perennial vine native to the tropics and is a highly invasive weed of bush areas and wasteland and is no longer permitted to be sold, propagated, distributed. This rampant, smothering, hairy perennial, vine that will climb up to 20 m high.
During December to February, it has blue, large, open trumpet-shaped, up to 10 cm in diameter, in few-flowered axillary clusters. The new flowers opening daily and then fade to pink in the late afternoon. It rarely fruits in New Zealand. 
The leaves are usually deeply three-lobed, up to 18 cm long by 16 cm wide and are silky-hairy underneath.  Sometimes they are heart shaped.
Derivation of botanical name: Ipomoea (Gr.) = worm-like; indica (Lat.) = of India or the Indies.

Its Impact:: Blue morning glory is very fast-growing, producing dense smothering blankets of foliage that can reach into the canopy. It quickly becomes the dominant vine wherever it occurs. If seen contact your regional council to determine the status of this species and responsibility for control and/or advice on control.

A rampaging Ipomoea indica vine completely covering an exotic tree that is flowering (white ) at the top.
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A coastal bank Port Taranaki, April
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New flower developing
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It has variable leaf shapes.
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More leaf shapes plus new clusters of flower heads.
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New flowerheads
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Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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