The Tree Morning glory, Ipomoea arborescens, is a flowering plant coming from the family Convolvulaceae. It grows fast and produces semi succulent stems. This tropical plant is mostly found in Mexico, which flower during the time of late autumn and winter.^[2]

Distribution

Ipomoea arborescens is found from Sonora and Chihuahua south to Veracruz and Oaxaca, Mexico.^[3] It inhabits open thorn forests, oak savannas and dry deciduous forests.^[4] This plant can be grown as a crop in El Salvador, Guatemala, Senegal and Zimbabwe.^[5]

Habitat and ecology

I. arborescens is a deciduous caudiciform tree, ^[6] it requires full sun and grows best in tropical conditions. In the United States climate zones, it will grow between 9b and 11. They grow in soil slightly acidic to slightly alkaline with a pH range of 6.1 to 7.8. It grows leaves during summer with a few rain and foliage is shed after rain stops in September.^[2]

Description

It grows rapidly up to two or three meters per year and can grow up to 5-15 meters tall with a trunk diameter of 50 centimeters.^[4] They can have a thick-stemmed vine. Its bark’s color ranges from grey to brown and it has a rough texture. Its leaves range from three to eight cm long and the leaf veins are visible from the underside. The stems produce a white latex. A leaf’s blades range from 9-19cm long and 6-9cm wide ^[4] The wood of the tree contains a milky-like moisture.^[6]

Flowers and fruit

Flowers of I. arborescens are major nectar sources for lesser long nosed bats, hummingbirds, and bees. Deer feed on the fallen flowers.^[2] The flowers are funnel-shaped. Its color is white or cream. The conspicuous blooms are few to many flowered-panicles, usually one flower opening in a cluster at a time. It has a greenish or cream tube supporting the spreading white corolla. The stamens are enclosed in its throat. The flower can have either globose or elongated fruit capsule, which is narrowly ovate and contains four dark reddish-brown seeds. Each seed contains a fringe of white or yellow silky hairs. Leaves are ovate, cordate at base, densely pubescent beneath and have prominent veins.^[3] If contact is made with the fungi, Fusarium oxysporum, stem rot disease can easily occur. When there are high levels of moisture or irrigation, the fungi releases spores that cause the plant to swell, which makes the plant unable to obtain nutrients. Some symptoms are stunted growth, flowers grow less, yellow foliage and if it is not treated the plant can die.^[6]

Names

I. arborescens have several names such as Palo Blanco, Palo Muerto, Palo Santo, Palo Bobo, Ozote, Casahuate Blanco, Palo Cabra, Sacred Morning Glory Tree, and Convolvulus arborescens.^[6]

References