Description

• Ipomoea trifida is a climbing or trailing annual or short-lived perennial vine in the morning-glory family (Convolvulaceae). Its slender stems twine through surrounding vegetation, and its leaves are generally heart-shaped to three-lobed, with considerable variation in shape. The funnel-shaped flowers are typically white to pale pink or lavender, often with a darker throat, and grow singly or in small clusters. Its fruit is a rounded capsule containing several seeds. The species is closely related to cultivated sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and can resemble other small-flowered morning glories.

Range

• Ipomoea trifida is native to tropical America, with a range extending through Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and parts of South America. It is native to Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.

Habitat

• It grows in warm, sunny environments, including tropical seasonal forests, forest margins, scrub, grassland edges, agricultural areas, roadsides, and disturbed ground. Its twining stems use nearby plants and other supports to climb, and it commonly grows during the rainy season when moisture promotes rapid growth.