Ipomoea quamoclit

"Cardinal Vine" redirects here. Not to be confused with Cardinal Climber and Cardinal Creeper.

Ipomoea quamoclit
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Solanales
Family:	Convolvulaceae
Genus:	Ipomoea
Species:	I. quamoclit
Binomial name
Ipomoea quamoclit L.

Ipomoea quamoclit (Cypress Vine, Cypressvine Morning Glory, Cardinal Creeper, Cardinal Vine, Star Glory or "hummingbird vine") is a species of morning glory native to tropical regions of the New World from northern South America north to Mexico. In Southern India, it is called as "Mayil Manikkam" (Tamil: மயில் மாணிக்கம்).

It is an annual or perennial herbaceous twining vine growing to 1-3 m tall. The leaves are 2-9 cm long, deeply lobed (nearly pinnate) with 9-19 lobes on each side of the leaf. The flowers are 3-4 cm long and 2 cm diameter, trumpet-shaped with five points, and can be red, pink or white; flowering is from early summer to late fall.

Cultivation and uses

It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant throughout the tropics, and also outside of tropical regions, where it is grown as an annual plant only, not surviving temperate zone winters. In some tropical areas it has become naturalized.

Seedlings must always be kept moist. They require full sun for good growth. This vine is one of the best plants for attracting hummingbirds, and is a vigorous grower. In warmer climates this plant can be extremely invasive.

Ipomoea × multifida is a hybrid between I. quamoclit and the Cypress Vine (I. hederifolia). The allotetraploid of this hybrid is Ipomoea sloteri. Both are known as Cardinal Climber.

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  Closeup of seeds

References

• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Ipomoea quamoclit
• List of plants of Caatinga vegetation of Brazil