Stylisma aquatica (Walter) Raf.

Water Dawnflower; Water Southern Morning Glory

Vine

Perennial

Vascular

Water Dawnflower is a native herbaceous perennial vine in the Morning-Glory family (Convolvulaceae). It is found primarily in the southern-most counties of Alabama, with historical isolated inland populations in Dallas and Etowah counties. Water Dawnflower grows in seasonally wet depressions in sandy pine woodlands. It is a perennial with a stout taproot. Slightly twining vines are green and grow up to four feet in length. The leaves are alternate, simple, entire, and silvery sericeous (covered with very dense minute hairs which gives a silky appearance). Flowers are produced in few-flowered axillary corymbs. The flowers are campanulate to funnelform in shape and pale pink or purple in color. All other Stylisma species in Alabama have white flowers. The filaments of the five stamens are glabrous. The fruit is a capsule with four seed. Water Dawnflower is listed as an S2 species in Alabama (typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state.), and globally as a G4 species I(imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors).--A. Diamond

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Native FACW+ (NWPL) S2 (State Rank) G4 (Global Rank)

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