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Ipomoea quamoclit 'White Feather'

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Ipomoea quamoclit L. 'White Feather'

Family Name: Convolvulaceae
Synonyms: Quamoclit vulgaris 'White Feather', Quamoclit pennata 'White Feather'
Common Name: White Cypress Vine, White Star Glory, White Star of Bethlehem, White Hummingbird Vine, 白茑萝

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Infraspecific Epithet
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Name Status (botanical)
Synonyms
Common Names
Comments

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon)
Plant Growth Form Climber, Creeper
Lifespan (in Singapore) Perennial
Mode of Nutrition Autotrophic
Plant Shape Irregular
Maximum Height 5 m to 6 m

Biogeography

Preferred Climate Zone Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal

Description and Ethnobotany

Growth Form Slender herbaceous vine, climbing by twining its flexible stems around physical supports, reaching up to 6m in height. In the absence of a vertical support, plant creeps indefinitely, rooting at nodes.
Foliage Entire leaves 7cm long by 4cm wide, broadly elliptical to ovate in outline, but deeply incised where each linear lobe is only 1mm across, thus imparting a delicate lacy appearance to the foliage.
Flowers White, trumpet-shaped, with joined petals (corolla), as well as exserted stamens and stigma. Produced in small cymes of 1-3 flowers, which remain open during the day, and close by late afternoon or evening. Relatively free-blooming, visited by nectar-seeking ants, hummingbirds and butterflies.
Fruit Ovoid dehiscent papery capsules, 5-8mm long, ripening from green to brown. Seeds small and black, usually 4 per fruit.
Similar Much less common than the species form Ipomoea quamoclit (Cypress Vine), which bears scarlet red flowers, but otherwise shares a similar morphology and growth behaviour.
Cultivation Fast-growing. Provide well-drained soils. Fairly drought-tolerant when established. May be difficult to remove from bushes, so constrain the plant to a trellis if desired. Used as a perennial in the tropics, also cultivated as an annual in temperate regions. Easily propagated by seeds or stem cuttings.
Etymology Genus epithet 'Ipomoea' derived from Greek terms 'ips' and 'homoios' meaning 'resembling a worm', alluding to the twining habit of plants from this genus. Species epithet 'quamoclit' derived from Greek name 'kuamos' for dwarf kidney bean, a reference to the seedlings' distinctively-shaped cotyledons (seed leaves).

Landscaping Features

Desirable Plant Features Ornamental Foliage, Ornamental Flowers
Landscape Uses Vertical Greenery / Green Wall, Flowerbed / Border
Thematic Landscaping Moonlight Garden, Butterfly Garden, Naturalistic Garden, Wildflower Garden

Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal

Fauna Pollination Dispersal Associated Fauna Butterfly-Attracting, Bird-Attracting
Pollination Method(s) Biotic (Fauna) (Insects (Butterfly, Moth), Insects (Ant, Beetle, Fly, Thrip, Wasp), Vertebrates (Bird))
Seed or Spore Dispersal Abiotic (Explosive Dehiscence)

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference Full Sun
Water Preference Moderate Water
Plant Growth Rate Fast
Rootzone Tolerance Easy to Grow, Drought Tolerant, Fertile Loamy Soils, Well-Drained Soils
Maintenance Requirements Moderate
Propagation Method Seed, Stem Cutting

Foliar

Foliage Retention Evergreen
Mature Foliage Colour(s) Green
Mature Foliage Texture(s) Smooth, Thick
Foliar Type Simple / Unifoliate
Foliar Arrangement Along Stem Alternate
Foliar Shape(s) Non-Palm Foliage (Elliptical)
Foliar Venation Pinnate / Net
Foliar Margin Palmately Lobed

Non - Foliar and Storage

Stem Type & Modification Herbaceous
Root Type Underground (Fibrous Root)

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower & Plant Sexuality Bisexual Flowers
Flower Colour(s) White
Flower Symmetry Radial
Individual Flower Shape Trumpet-shaped
Inflorescence Type Cyme
Flowering Period Free-Flowering
Flower Lifespan on Plant 1 Day
Flowering Habit Polycarpic

Fruit, Seed and Spore

Mature Fruit Colour(s) Brown
Fruit Classification Simple Fruit
Fruit Type Dehiscent Dry Fruit , Capsule

Image Repository

Images

Others

Master ID 29690
Species ID 3999
Flora Disclaimer The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.
Species record last updated on: 20 April 2022.
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