Morning Glory (Ipomoea spp.)

Family: Convolvulaceae

 

The morning glory family is well represented in Arizona, with some 17 species of the Ipomoea genus, characterized by long, twining vines. Generally these bloom with the Monsoon rains of summer, and the ones photographed here followed good local Monsoon rains which hit the lower Hot Springs Canyon watershed in July and August of 2004. Both images were taken in washes, where we found lots ofvines springing up and covering other kinds of plants. At left, in Hot Springs Canyon above the Windmill, a mass of vines climbs up to the top of Hymenoclea shrubs.

 

Here, at right, a vine grows in the West Wash below the Windmill. Click on the image to enlarge it.

 

 

 

The leaves of Morning Glories are a dark green and hairy on both sides, and they vary between a lanceolate form and a form cleft into 3 or 5 narrow lobes. You can see these variations by clicking on each of these images. The vine on the left is growing over a low-lying mesquite shrub.

 

 

 

 

Below left, a closeup view of a leaf and associated tendril; below right, a view of a flower.

..