Ipomoea nil

Ipomoea nil (L.) Roth., Catal. Bot. 1: 36. 1797; Ooststroom, Blumea 3: 497. 1940; Austin, Ann. Miss. Bot. Gard. 62: 193. 1975; Dhaliwal &Sharma, Fl. Kullu Dist. 463. 1999; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 445. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 485. 2006; Convolvulus nil L., Sp. Pl. ed. 2. 219. 1762; Ipomoea hederacea Jacq., Collectanea1: 124. pl. 36. 1787; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 4: 199. 1883; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2. 336. f. 106. 1921 (Reprint 1980); Pharbitis nil (L.) Choisy, Mem. Soc. Phys. Geneve 6: 439. 1833. Fl. China @ eFloras.org 16: 305; Austin, Fl. Pak @ eFloras.org p. 45.

Annual-perennial herb, twining, with densely to scattered retrosely hirsute axial parts. Leaves alternate, 6-18 cm x 5.5-17.5 cm, ovate to suborbicular, mostly 3(-5)- lobed or entire, base cordate, apex acute to acuminate, appressed-pubescent on both surfaces; petioles 2.5-15 cm long, hirsute with patent hairs. Flowers in 1-6 flowered cymes, flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, 5-merous, hypogynous, blue/pinkish; peduncles 2-8 cm long, axillary; pedicels 4-11 mm long; bracts 7-9 mm long, linear. Sepals 5, 1.5-2.5 cm long, connate at base, tube short, 6-7 mm long; lobes +/- equal, long-lanceolate with linear- lanceolate apices, densely long-spreading hirsute at the base abaxially, sparsely hirsute or subglabrous apically, hairs swollen based. Corolla pale to bright blue with whitish tube and throat, corolla fading to pinkish in age, 4-5 cm long, funnelform, glabrous, distinctly 5-lobed, corolla with distict midpetaline bands Stamens 5, included, unequal. Pistil included, ovary glabrous, 3-loculed; stigma 3-lobed.

Fruit capsular, ovoid to +/- globose, 8-12 mm long, nearly equal in diameter, glabrous. Seeds black, ovoid- trigonous, 5-6 mm, grey-puberulent. (Fruits not observed)

Flowering and Fruiting: June to October
Common Names: Blue Morning Glory, Japanese Morning Glory, White-Edge Morning Glory; Jharmaric, Kala dana, Neelkalmi (Hindi)