Latin name

Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.

Family

Convolvulaceae

Common name(s)

Swamp morning glory, pink convolvulus, and potato-vine

Synonym(s)

Ipomoea reptans Poir. (accepted), I. natans Dinter, I. repens Roth, Convolvulus repens Vahl, I. sagittaefolia Hochr., I. subdentata Miq.

Geographical distribution

Asia: China (including Taiwan), Japan.

South and Southeast Asia: Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Rest of the world: Australia, Cameroon, Fiji, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Surinam, United States (Hawaii), and Zambia.

Morphology

A spreading perennial vine.

Stem: creeping on ground or floating, branched, without hairs; rooted at nodes, hollow and slightly inflated when floating on water; several meters in length.

Leaf: simple and alternately arranged, oblong-ovate to oblong-cordate with prominent pointed tip; blades 7—15—cm—long with petioles 2.5—15—cm—long.

Inflorescence: narrowly bell-shaped, solitary, and stalked flower; petals united, white to cream or purple.

Fruit: ovoid, about 1—cm—long capsule with four seeds.

Seed: light brown, either with gray hairs or smooth.

Biology and ecology

Inhabits moist/wet areas, drains, lowland rice fields, marshes, and swamps. Reproduces by seeds and vegetatively. In undisturbed areas, plants set 3—4 fruits in each node; completes development from emergence to fruit maturity in 40—50 days. Forms dense masses and is easily propagated from cuttings.

Agricultural importance

Can be a serious weed in a wide range of crops, including abaca, banana, jute, papaya, rice, and sugarcane. Used as a green vegetable in Southeast Asia.

In Malaysia, control of water hyacinth has led to a weed shift to dominance of I. aquatica.

Management

Cultural control: cutting prevents it from flowering.

Chemical control: Paraquat or 2,4-D reported to be effective in controlling this weed.

Selected references

Middleton B. 1990. Effect of water depth and clipping frequency on the growth and survival of four wetland plant species. Aquat. Bot. 37(2):189-196.

Misra G, Tripathy G. 1975. Studies on the control of aquatic weeds of Orissa. 2. Effect of chemical herbicides on some aquatic weeds. J. Indian Bot. Soc. 54(1,2):65-71.

Moody K. 1989. Weeds reported in South and Southeast Asia. Manila (Philippines): International Rice Research Institute. 442 p.

Pancho JV, Soerjani M. 1978. Aquatic weeds of Southeast Asia: a systematic account of common Southeast Asian aquatic weeds. Bogor (Indonesia): SEAMEO Regional Center for Tropical Biology. 130 p.

Patnaik S. 1976. Autecology of Ipomoea aquatica Forssk. J. Inland Fisheries Soc. India 8:77-82.

Raju RA, Reddy MN. 1986. Protecting the world's rice crops. Agric. Inf. Dev. Bull. 8(2):17-18.

Van Ooststroom JS. 1953. Convolvulaceae. Flora Malesiana Ser. 1 4:389-512.

Contributors

JLA Catindig, RT Lubigan, and DE Johnson