Flora of the Hawaiian Islands
Dicotyledon Literature for Ipomoea alba
Wagner et al., 1990, 1999; Lorence & Wagner, 2020.
   Convolvulaceae -- The Dodder, Morning Glory Family Bibliography
      Ipomoea alba

Common name(s): morning glory, koali pehu, moon flower
General Information
DistributionProbably native to Mexico, pantropical through cultivation and naturalized in some areas.In the Hawaiian Islands, naturalized on Kaua`i, O`ahu, Moloka`i, Lana`i, Maui, Hawai`i.
















Habit
Vine; stems herbaceous at least near tips, occasionally rooting near the nodes, often to 6 m or more long, smooth or with short fleshy prickles, glabrous.
Leaves
Leaves petiolate; blade membranous to chartaceous, broadly ovate, 5‒18 cm long, 10‒17 cm wide, glabrous, entire to 3‒7-lobed, apex acute to acuminate, base cordate to subhastate; petiole ca. ½‒⅔ as long as blade.
Flowers
Inflorescences a cyme, 1 to several-flowered, glabrous. Flowers on pedicel 7‒15 mm long; sepals fleshy, ovate to elliptic, 10‒20 mm long, glabrous, apex acute to acuminate, outer 2 with apex fleshy caudate; corolla white with greenish nectar guides, salverform, tube 9‒15 cm long, yellow-white, limb 8‒10 cm in diameter.
Fruit
Fruit usually dark brown, ovoid to subglobose, 2‒3 cm long, 1‒2 cm in diameter, glabrous, apex long-apiculate.
Seeds
Seeds 1‒4, dark brown to black, rarely tan, ovoid, 8‒10 mm long, glabrous.
Chromosomes
2n = 30.
Contributor
Nancy Khan