Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Synonyms Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Ipomoea quamoclit L.

Synonyms

Quamoclit pennata (Desr.) Bojer
Quamoclit vulgaris Choisy

Family

Convolvulaceae

Common Names

cardinal climber, Cupid's flower, cypress vine, cypressvine, cypress-vine morning-glory, cypressvine morning-glory, cypressvine morningglory, hummingbird flower, hummingbird vine, morning glory, star glory, star of Bethlehem, star-glory, sweet Willy

Origin

The exact origin of this species is obscure, however it is thought to be native to tropical America.

Naturalised Distribution

Cupid's flower (Ipomoea quamoclit) is widely naturalised in northern and eastern Australia. It is most common in the northern parts of the Northern Territory, in the coastal districts of Queensland, and in the Kimberley region in northern Western Australia. Also naturalised in the coastal districts of northern New South Wales, near Onslow in north-western Western Australia, and on Christmas Island.

Naturalised overseas in southern and eastern USA, Vietnam and on several Pacific islands (e.g. Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Western Samoa and the Solomon Islands).

Notes

Cupid's flower (Ipomoea quamoclit) is an environmental weed in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland. It is also regarded as a "sleeper weed" or potential environmental weed in northern New South Wales. This garden escape is primarily a problem species in the northern parts of the country, where it invades bushland and competes with native vine species.

In northern Queensland, Cupid's flower (Ipomoea quamoclit) is widely distributed in a number of habitats ranging from the fringes of mangroves, to rainforests and eucalypt forests. It is also thought to have the potential to invade the early successional stages of tropical monsoon vine thickets in this region. It is also listed as a medium priority pest species in the Mackay Whitsunday region and is mainly a weed of riparian areas in south-eastern Queensland.

In the Northern Territory, Cupid's flower (Ipomoea quamoclit) smothers native trees and shrubs and is becoming increasingly problematic around Darwin, where it has also covered grass swards. It is also listed as a high priority weed species in the Aboriginal Lands of the Northern Land Council area and is a significant weed in the Pine Creek Bioregion in the northern parts of the Northern Territory.

In the Kimberley region of Western Australia, Cupid's flower (Ipomoea quamoclit) is primarily a weed of the vegetation along creeklines. In New South Wales it is currently found north from the Richmond River, including in the Tuckean Nature Reserve near Ballina.