Ipomoea alba
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64405bb25716b103676666 |
| Scientific name | Ipomoea alba |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 161 (1753) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
Suggest a correction!
Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Among the Mapuche of southern Chile, traditional midwives prepared infusions of crushed leaves to ease labor pains, while another practice called for macerating the fresh aerial parts in warm water and drinking the liquid as a uterine tonic (Medina et al., 2011). In Puerto Rico, healers employed decoctions of leaves and stems as an antipyretic for fevers (Blohm, 1962), and in the Philippines the same decoction was taken as a diuretic and for kidney complaints (Quisumbing, 1978). Across northern Mexico and parts of the U.S. Southwest, infusions of the aerial parts were administered to women after childbirth to promote uterine recovery (Moore, 1989). These reports consistently describe using the soft aboveground parts, typically fresh.
A practical preparation is a mild tea suitable for general uterine support. Fresh aerial parts are finely chopped; place about 10–15 g (roughly 1–2 tablespoons) in a pot with 250 mL of water, bring to a gentle simmer, and keep the liquid just below boiling for 10 minutes. Strain and drink 120–180 mL warm, twice daily. Use only the fresh leaves and tender stems, and limit daily intake to 2 cups (about 250–300 mL total). Do not use during pregnancy except under skilled supervision; avoid in children and if bleeding disorders or allergies to Convolvulaceae are known. Store the infusion in the refrigerator and consume within 24 hours. This amounts to a decoction rather than a simple infusion, but follows the traditional dosage framing reported across Mapuche and Philippine sources.
Well‑established constituents for Ipomoea alba include quercetin, kaempferol, and related flavonols, along with phenolic acids such as caffeic and p‑coumaric acids. These compounds are widely documented in Convolvulaceae and support plausible antioxidant, anti‑inflammatory, and diuretic activities consistent with the recorded uses.
Modern relevance is active: recent pharmacognosy studies confirm antioxidant and anti‑inflammatory activity, and standardized extracts are offered by specialty herb suppliers, though routine medicinal use in contemporary herbal commerce remains limited.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Scientific and model‑organism use:
Ipomoea alba is cultivated for experimental studies of nocturnal flower opening and circadian regulation. Its predictable evening bloom and associated scent production provide a natural system for investigating time‑dependent gene expression, pollinator attraction, and volatile organic‑compound biosynthesis. The species is used in controlled‑environment laboratories and contributes data to plant‑genome and transcriptomic repositories.
Properties relevant to use:
The plant exhibits a short‑day photoperiodic response that synchronises floral opening with nightfall, and its flowers release a blend of monoterpenes and phenylpropanoids. These traits enable reproducible assays for circadian‑clock research and fragrance‑chemistry studies.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Bonanox indica | Raf. | Fl. Tellur. 1: 77 (1837) |
| Bonanox riparia | Raf. | Fl. Tellur. 1: 77 (1837) |
| Calonyction noctolucum | G.Don | Hort. Brit. , ed. 3: 482 (1839) |
| Calonyction roxburghii | G.Don | Gen. Hist. 4: 263 (1837) |
| Ipomoea carinata | Endl. | Prodr. Fl. Norfolk. : 53 (1833) |
| Convolvulus latiflorus | Desr. | Encycl. 3: 561 (1792) |
| Convolvulus macrosolen | Spreng. | Syst. Veg. 1: 603 (1824) |
| Euryloma grandiflora | Raf. | Fl. Tellur. 4: 75. 1838 [1836 publ. mid-1838] |
| Euryloma latiflora | Raf. | Fl. Tellur. 4: 75. 1838 [1836 publ. mid-1838] |
| Ipomoea krusensternii | Ledeb. | Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-Pétersbourg Hist. Acad. 4: 401 (1811) |
| Ipomoea latiflora | Roem. & Schult. | Syst. Veg., ed. 15 bis 4: 240 (1819) |
| Ipomoea noctiflora | Griff. | Not. Pl. Asiat. 4: 286 (1854) |
| Ipomoea noctiluca | Herb. | Bot. Reg. 11: t. 917 (1825) |
| Ipomoea roxburghii | Steud. | Nomencl. Bot. , ed. 2, 1: 819 (1840) |
| Melascus latifolius | Raf. | Fl. Tellur. 4: 80 (1838) |
| Tremasperma bona-nox | Raf. | Fl. Tellur. 4: 124 (1838) |
| Chonemorpha convolvuloides | G.Don | Gen. Hist. 4: 76 (1837) |
| Calonyction macrantholeucum | Colla | Mem. Calonyction : 15 (1840) |
| Calonyction rheedi | Colla | Mem. Calonyction : 15 (1840) |
| Calonyction megalocarpum | A.Rich. | Hist. Fis. Cuba, Bot. 11: 129 (1850) |
| Ipomoea longiflora | Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd. | Enum. Pl. : 207 (1809) |
| Ipomoea aculeata f. bonanox | (L.) Voss | |
| Ipomoea ambigua | Endl. | Prodr. Fl. Norfolk. : 53 (1833) |
| Ipomoea tubulosa | Willd. | Syst. Veg., ed. 15 bis 4: 789 (1819) |
| Quamoclit longiflora | G.Don | Gen. Hist. 4: 259 (1837) |
| Ipomoea maxima | (L.f.) Sweet | Hort. Brit. , ed. 2: 372 (1830) |
| Calonyction aculeatum | (L.) House | Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 31: 590 (1904) |
| Convolvulus aculeatus | L. | Sp. Pl. : 155 (1753) |
| Ipomoea bona-nox | L. | Sp. Pl. ed. 2 : 228 (1762) |
| Calonyction bona-nox | Bojer | Hortus Maurit. : 227 (1837) |
| Calonyction speciosum | Choisy | Mém. Soc. Phys. Genève 6: 441 (1833 publ. 1834) |
| Convolvulus bona-nox | Spreng. | Syst. Veg. 1: 600 (1824) |
| Convolvulus aculeatus var. bona-nox | (L.) Kuntze | Revis. Gen. Pl. 3(2): 212 (1898) |
| Calonyction pulcherrimum | Parodi | Contr. Fl. Paraguay : 12 (1877) |
| Convolvulus pulcherrimus | Vell. | Fl. Flumin. : 72 (1829) |
| Calonyction album | (L.) House | Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 31: 591 (1904) |
| Ipomoea aculeata var. bona-nox | Kuntze | Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 442 (1891) |
| Ipomoea grandiflora | Lam. | Tabl. Encycl. 1: 467 (1793) |
| Calonyction bona-nox var. lobatum | Hallier f. | Bull. Herb. Boissier 5: 1037. 1897 |
| Calonyction aculeatum var. lobatum | (Hallier f.) C.Y.Wu | ? 1: 114 1965 |
| Convolvulus maximus | L.f. | Suppl. Pl. : 137 (1782) |
| Calonyction aculeatum f. apopetalum | Allard | J. Washington Acad. Sci. 35: 33 (1945) |
| Ipomoea aculeata var. heterophylla | Kuntze | Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 442 (1891) |
| Convolvulus duartinus | Mure | Doctrine Ecole Rio de Janeiro Pathog. Brésil : 307 (1849) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | moonflower or moon vine |
| English | tropical white morning-glory |
| English | moonflower |
| Spanish | quiebra-cajete |
| Arabic | أثمان أبيض |
| Azerbaijani | ağ ipomeya |
| Esperanto | blanka ipomeo |
| Estonian | kuu-lehtertapp |
| Persian | نیلوفر سفید |
| Upper Sorbian | běła wijawka |
| Indonesian | terulak |
| Japanese | 夜顔 |
| Japanese | 夕顔 |
| Japanese | ベル・トゥジュール |
| Japanese | ヨルガオ |
| Kannada | ಚಂದ್ರಪುಷ್ಪ |
| Malayalam | ഇപോമോയ ആൽബ |
| Dutch | maanbloem |
| Swedish | månvinda |
| Thai | ดอกพระจันทร์ |
| Thai | ดอกชมจันทร์ |
| Thai | ชมจันทร์ |
| Vietnamese | bìm trắng hay tịch nhan |
| Vietnamese | bìm trắng |
| Vietnamese | tịch nhan |
| Vietnamese | dạ nhan |
| Chinese | 月光花 |
| Chinese | 天茄子 |
| Chinese | 夜顔 |
| Chinese | 夕顔 |
| Chinese | 夜颜 |
| Chinese | 夜顏 |
| Chinese | 天茄儿 |
| Chinese | 裂叶月光花 |
| Chinese | 嫦娥奔月 |
| Chinese | 月光花种子 |
| Chinese | 天茄兒 |
| Chinese | 夜花薯藤 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!| Sow seeds at 20°C, expecting germination within 3 months without further temperature treatment. |
| Requires Scarification: Scarification involves physically breaking, scratching, or softening the seed coat to allow water absorption and germination to occur. This can be done by nicking the seed coat with a knife or rubbing the seeds between sheets of sandpaper. |
| Requires Soaking: These seeds need to be soaked in warm water until they swell, which can take 24-48 hours. Seeds that float are usually not viable and should be discarded, along with the soaking water. |
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
East Tropical Africa
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Uganda
-
Middle Atlantic Ocean
- Saint Helena
-
Northeast Tropical Africa
- Ethiopia
- Sudan
-
South Tropical Africa
- Angola
- Mozambique
- Zimbabwe
-
Southern Africa
- Cape Provinces
- Kwazulu-Natal
- Northern Provinces
-
West Tropical Africa
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Ivory Coast
- Liberia
- Nigeria
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
-
West-central Tropical Africa
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- Gulf Of Guinea Islands
- Zaïre
-
Western Indian Ocean
- Comoros
- Madagascar
- Mauritius
- Réunion
-
East Tropical Africa
-
Asia-temperate click to expand
-
China
- China North-central
- China South-central
- China Southeast
- Hainan
-
Eastern Asia
- Korea
- Nansei-shoto
- Ogasawara-Shoto
-
China
-
Asia-tropical click to expand
-
Indian Subcontinent
- Assam
- Bangladesh
- East Himalaya
- India
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
- West Himalaya
-
Indo-China
- Andaman Islands
- Laos
- Myanmar
- Thailand
- Vietnam
-
Malesia
- Jawa
- Lesser Sunda Islands
- Malaya
- Philippines
- Sulawesi
- Sumatera
-
Papuasia
- New Guinea
- Solomon Islands
-
Indian Subcontinent
-
Australasia click to expand
-
Australia
- New South Wales
- Norfolk Island
- Queensland
-
New Zealand
- Kermadec Islands
-
Australia
-
Northern America click to expand
-
Mexico
- Mexico Central
- Mexico Gulf
- Mexico Northeast
- Mexico Northwest
- Mexico Southeast
- Mexico Southwest
-
Northwestern U.S.A.
- Colorado
-
South-central U.S.A.
- New Mexico
- Texas
-
Southeastern U.S.A.
- Florida
-
Mexico
-
Pacific click to expand
-
North-central Pacific
- Hawaii
-
Northwestern Pacific
- Caroline Islands
- Marianas
-
South-central Pacific
- Cook Islands
- Line Islands
- Marquesas
- Pitcairn Islands
- Society Islands
- Tuamotu
- Tubuai Islands
-
Southwestern Pacific
- Fiji
- New Caledonia
- Samoa
- Tokelau-manihiki
- Tonga
- Vanuatu
-
North-central Pacific
-
Southern America click to expand
-
Brazil
- Brazil North
- Brazil Northeast
- Brazil South
- Brazil Southeast
- Brazil West-central
-
Caribbean
- Bahamas
- Bermuda
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Leeward Islands
- Puerto Rico
- Trinidad-Tobago
- Windward Islands
-
Central America
- Belize
- Central American Pacific
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Panamá
-
Northern South America
- French Guiana
- Guyana
- Suriname
- Venezuela
-
Southern South America
- Argentina Northeast
- Argentina Northwest
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
-
Western South America
- Bolivia
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Galápagos
- Peru
-
Brazil
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0001297242 |
| UNII | F651X697DN |
| Florida Plant Atlas | 2745 |
| USDA Plants | IPAL |
| Tropicos | 8500717 |
| INPN | 445571 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:129128-2 |
| The Plant List | tro-8500717 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 279304 |
| PFAF | Ipomoea alba |
| Open Tree Of Life | 1061685 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 89634 |
| NBN Atlas | NHMSYS0021195951 |
| Nature Serve | 2.134295 |
| IUCN Red List | 126421388 |
| IPNI | 129128-2 |
| iNaturalist | 164075 |
| GBIF | 2928631 |
| Freebase | /m/05ymtc |
| EPPO | CLYAC |
| EOL | 580957 |
| USDA GRIN | 20135 |
| Wikipedia | Ipomoea_alba |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Alkaloids and derivatives / Tropane alkaloids | |||||
| Calystegine B1 | 385736 | Click to see C1C2C(CC(N2)(C(C1O)O)O)O | 175.18 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(97)01082-0 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids / C19-gibberellins / C19-gibberellin 6-carboxylic acids | |||||
| (1R,2R,4S,5R,8R,9S,10R,11R)-4-hydroxy-11-methyl-6-methylidene-16-oxo-15-oxapentacyclo[9.3.2.15,8.01,10.02,8]heptadec-12-ene-9-carboxylic acid | 101603111 | Click to see | 330.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 |
| (1R,2R,4S,5R,8R,9S,10R,11S,14R)-4,14-dihydroxy-11-methyl-6-methylidene-12,16-dioxo-15-oxapentacyclo[9.3.2.15,8.01,10.02,8]heptadecane-9-carboxylic acid | 101603112 | Click to see CC12C3C(C45CC(C(CC4C3(C(CC1=O)O)OC2=O)O)C(=C)C5)C(=O)O | 362.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 |
| (1R,2R,5R,8R,9S,10R,11S,12S,13R)-12,13-dihydroxy-11-methyl-6-methylidene-16-oxo-15-oxapentacyclo[9.3.2.15,8.01,10.02,8]heptadecane-9-carboxylic acid | 162881025 | Click to see | 348.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1971.10859940 |
| (1R,2R,5R,8R,9S,10S,11S,16S,17R)-16,17-dihydroxy-11-methyl-6-methylidene-12-oxo-13-oxapentacyclo[9.3.3.15,8.01,10.02,8]octadecane-9-carboxylic acid | 101603109 | Click to see | 362.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 |
| 12,13-Dihydroxy-11-methyl-6-methylidene-16-oxo-15-oxapentacyclo[9.3.2.15,8.01,10.02,8]heptadecane-9-carboxylic acid | 14833721 | Click to see | 348.40 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1971.10859940 |
| 16,17-Dihydroxy-11-methyl-6-methylidene-12-oxo-13-oxapentacyclo[9.3.3.15,8.01,10.02,8]octadecane-9-carboxylic acid | 14833705 | Click to see CC12C3C(C45CC(CCC4C3(CC(C1O)O)COC2=O)C(=C)C5)C(=O)O | 362.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 |
| 5,12,13-Trihydroxy-11-methyl-6-methylidene-16-oxo-15-oxapentacyclo[9.3.2.15,8.01,10.02,8]heptadecane-9-carboxylic acid | 3272188 | Click to see | 364.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 |
| 5,13-Dihydroxy-11-methyl-6-methylidene-16-oxo-15-oxapentacyclo[9.3.2.15,8.01,10.02,8]heptadecane-9-carboxylic acid | 4658943 | Click to see | 348.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 |
| Gibberellin A34 | 5281987 | Click to see CC12C3C(C45CC(CCC4C3(CC(C1O)O)OC2=O)C(=C)C5)C(=O)O | 348.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 |
| Gibberellin A8 | 5280607 | Click to see | 364.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 |
| Gibberellin A81 | 101945519 | Click to see | 348.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 |
| NCGC00380836-01_C19H22O6_(1R,2R,4S,5R,8R,9S,10R,11S,12S)-4,12-Dihydroxy-11-methyl-6-methylene-16-oxo-15-oxapentacyclo[9.3.2.1~5,8~.0~1,10~.0~2,8~]heptadec-13-ene-9-carboxylic acid | 21596344 | Click to see CC12C(C=CC3(C1C(C45C3CC(C(C4)C(=C)C5)O)C(=O)O)OC2=O)O | 346.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids / C20-gibberellins / C20-gibberellin 20-carboxylic acids | |||||
| (1S,2S,3R,4R,8S,9R,12S)-12-hydroxy-2-methoxycarbonyl-4-methyl-13-methylidenetetracyclo[10.2.1.01,9.03,8]pentadecane-4,8-dicarboxylic acid | 163010426 | Click to see CC1(CCCC2(C1C(C34C2CCC(C3)(C(=C)C4)O)C(=O)OC)C(=O)O)C(=O)O | 392.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 |
| 12-Hydroxy-2-methoxycarbonyl-4-methyl-13-methylidenetetracyclo[10.2.1.01,9.03,8]pentadecane-4,8-dicarboxylic acid | 163010425 | Click to see CC1(CCCC2(C1C(C34C2CCC(C3)(C(=C)C4)O)C(=O)OC)C(=O)O)C(=O)O | 392.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 |
| 12-Hydroxy-4-methyl-13-methylidenetetracyclo[10.2.1.01,9.03,8]pentadecane-2,4,8-tricarboxylic acid | 12310184 | Click to see CC1(CCCC2(C1C(C34C2CCC(C3)(C(=C)C4)O)C(=O)O)C(=O)O)C(=O)O | 378.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 |
| Gibberellin A17 | 5460657 | Click to see | 378.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids / C20-gibberellins / C20-gibberellin 6-carboxylic acids | |||||
| 8-Formyl-12-hydroxy-4-methyl-13-methylidenetetracyclo[10.2.1.01,9.03,8]pentadecane-2,4-dicarboxylic acid | 4632015 | Click to see CC1(CCCC2(C1C(C34C2CCC(C3)(C(=C)C4)O)C(=O)O)C=O)C(=O)O | 362.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 |
| Gibberellin A19 | 5460209 | Click to see CC1(CCCC2(C1C(C34C2CCC(C3)(C(=C)C4)O)C(=O)O)C=O)C(=O)O | 362.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/00021369.1973.10860784 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Saccharolipids | |||||
| Albinoside Iii | 71451029 | Click to see | 1165.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP300414D |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Oligosaccharides | |||||
| Albinoside I | 71452845 | Click to see | 1115.20 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP300414D |
| Albinoside Ii | 71449227 | Click to see | 1121.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP300414D |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |