Tie-vine

Perennials. Stems twining. Leaf blades cordate-ovate, lance-ovate, ovate, or 3–5(–7)-lobed, 10–90 × 10–90 mm, base cor­date, lobes usually rounded, some­times pointed, surfaces usu­ally hirsute, pilose, or tomen­tose, rarely glabrous. Peduncles glabrous or hairy, hairs appressed. Flowers: sepals lanceolate to ovate, 8–14 mm, chartaceous or coriaceous, outers lance-ovate to lanceolate, narrowed distal portion curved, glabrous or hairy, inners ovate, margins ciliate or not, abaxial surface glabrous or hairy; corolla lavender, tube darker, funnelform, 20–38 mm.

Varieties 3 (2 in the flora): United States, Mexico, South America.

Variety australis (O’Donnell) D. F. Austin is known from Argentina.

Varieties cordatotriloba and torreyana appear to differ by minor, trivial traits; nevertheless, they have distinctive aspects and, historically, distinct ranges and habitats. Both have been dispersed by humans and may appear sporadically in places outside their historical ranges.

Lower Taxa

• Ipomoea cordatotriloba var. cordatotriloba
• Ipomoea cordatotriloba var. torreyana (A. Gray) D. F. Austin