Ipomoea sagittata Poir.

Saltmarsh Morning Glory; Arrowleaf Morning Glory

Vine

Perennial

Vascular

Saltmarsh Morning Glory is a native perennial herbaceous vine in the Morning-Glory family (Convolvulaceae). It is native to coastal Alabama. Saltmarsh Morning Glory grows in brackish marshes, in wetlands, on barrier islands, in hammocks, and in wet roadside ditches. Saltmarsh Morning Glory occurs along the coast of North and Central America, on Caribbean Islands, and around the Mediterranean Sea in Southern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. It was collected as early as 1675 from a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, and the type specimen is from Algeria. This amphi-Atlantic distribution has confounded scholars for decades, and they thought the two were distinct species until recently. The exact time and means of its introduction in the Mediterranean area is still debated. Saltmarsh Morning Glory is a perennial from enlarged roots. It is a climbing vine by twining. The stems are green in color and glabrous. They may reach lengths of more than 6 feet. Leaves are alternate, sagittate or hastate in outline, with entire margins. Flowers are produced from the axils of the leaves. The flowers are solitary, campanulate, and rose-lavender in color. The flowers open early in the morning and soon wither, especially on hot days. Flowering occurs throughout the warmer months. The fruit is a capsule with several large, hairy seed. Saltmarsh Morning Glory is not generally available from nurseries. It is however easily grown from seed. Plants prefer a wet or moist soil and full sun. Plants will require a fence or trellis to climb on.--A. Diamond

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Native FACW (NWPL)

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