Details Top

Internal ID UUID64405bb4c09a8425770023
Scientific name Ipomoea violacea
Authority L.
First published in Sp. Pl. : 161 (1753)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

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General Uses Top

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Common products:
Ipomoea violacea is cultivated commercially as an ornamental annual vine. It is prized for its large, funnel‑shaped flowers that open at night and range from violet to white. The plant is sold by nurseries and garden centers for use in home gardens, public landscaping, and as a cut‑flower for indoor arrangements. It is commonly marketed as a climber, offered as seed packets, young plants, or potted vines, and is employed in parks, resorts, and private gardens to create evening fragrance displays and vertical green screens.

Properties relevant to use:
The species exhibits rapid vegetative growth and a twining habit, allowing it to cover trellises, fences, and other supports within a single growing season. The corolla can reach 10–12 cm in diameter, providing a prominent display. A strong, sweet fragrance peaks in the evening, enhancing its ornamental appeal. These traits—large flower size, nocturnal anthesis, and intense scent—are the primary characteristics that make the plant desirable in horticulture. The vine thrives in full sun to partial shade, tolerates moderate drought, and prefers well‑drained soils; its rapid shoot elongation (up to 2 m per month under optimal conditions) facilitates quick coverage of structures. Seeds exhibit high viability (>85 %) after 12 months of dry storage, facilitating commercial seed production and germination efficiency.

Standards and regulation:
International horticultural trade follows the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP) for cultivar naming. National phytosanitary regulations (for example, United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service – APHIS rules) require that imported plant material be free of quarantine pests and that commercial propagation be documented to assure traceability. For seed trade, the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) provides standardized germination protocols and seed health testing. In the EU, Directive 2000/29/EC sets phytosanitary requirements for the introduction of plant material, including Ipomoea spp., and the ICNCP governs cultivar registration.

Sustainability and sourcing:
Commercial production is primarily through seed propagation or vegetative cuttings under controlled greenhouse conditions, which reduces pressure on wild populations. Sustainable nursery practices include the use of recycled pots, peat‑free substrates, and integrated pest management to minimize chemical inputs. Because the plant is cultivated rather than wild‑harvested, its commercial use is considered low‑impact. The species is not listed under CITES or other protected‑species conventions, and many growers employ renewable energy for greenhouse heating, further reducing the environmental footprint of its production.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Calonyction comespermum Bojer Hortus Maurit. : 228 (1837)
Calonyction macranthum Lem. Hort. Vanhoutt. 1(1): 10 (1845)
Calonyction muticum Decne. Nouv. Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. 3: 390 (1834)
Convolvulus muticus Steud. Nomencl. Bot. , ed. 2, 1: 410 (1840)
Pharbitis violacea Bojer Hortus Maurit. : 227 (1837)
Tereietra violacea Raf. Fl. Tellur. 4: 125 (1838)
Ipomoea tuba G.Don Gen. Hist. 4: 271 (1837)
Convolvulus longiflorus Spreng. Syst. Veg. 1: 595 (1824)
Convolvulus tuba Schltdl. Linnaea 6: 735 (1831)
Ipomoea macrantha Roem. & Schult. Syst. Veg., ed. 15 bis 4: 251 (1819)
Calonyction tuba Colla Mem. Calonyction : 15 (1840)
Convolvulus grandiflorus Jacq. Hort. Bot. Vindob. 3: 39 (1777)
Calonyction grandiflorum Choisy Convolv. Orient. 60. 1834 [Aug 1834]
Calonyction jacquinii G.Don Gen. Hist. 4: 264 (1837)
Ipomoea glaberrima Bojer ex Hook. J. Bot. (Hooker) 1: 357. 1834
Convolvulus catharticus Blanco Fl. Filip. : 94 (1837)
Ipomoea comosperma Drake Ill. Fl. Ins. Pacif. : 242 (1892)

Common names Top

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Language Common/alternative name
English beach moonflower
English sea moonflower
Spanish semillas de la virgen
Spanish ipomea
Spanish badoh negro
Spanish ololiuhqui
Catalan meravelles
Catalan meravella
ht lyann dous
Japanese キバナハマヒルガオ
Russian Утреннее сияние
Russian morning glory
Chinese 圆萼天茄儿
Chinese 长管牵牛
Chinese 圓萼天茄兒
Chinese 管花薯

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Africa
    • East Tropical Africa
      • Kenya
      • Tanzania
    • South Tropical Africa
      • Mozambique
    • West Tropical Africa
      • Ghana
      • Guinea
      • Ivory Coast
      • Senegal
    • Western Indian Ocean
      • Aldabra
      • Comoros
      • Madagascar
      • Mauritius
      • Rodrigues
      • Seychelles
  • Asia-temperate
    • China
      • China Southeast
      • Hainan
    • Eastern Asia
      • Japan
      • Ogasawara-Shoto
      • Taiwan
  • Asia-tropical
    • Indian Subcontinent
      • Assam
      • Bangladesh
      • India
      • Sri Lanka
    • Indo-China
      • Andaman Islands
      • Cambodia
      • Myanmar
      • South China Sea
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Malesia
      • Borneo
      • Christmas Island
      • Cocos (keeling) Islands
      • Jawa
      • Malaya
      • Maluku
      • Philippines
      • Sumatera
    • Papuasia
      • Bismarck Archipelago
      • New Guinea
      • Solomon Islands
  • Australasia
    • Australia
      • Northern Territory
      • Queensland
      • Western Australia
  • Northern America
    • Mexico
      • Mexico Southeast
      • Mexico Southwest
    • South-central U.S.A.
      • Texas
    • Southeastern U.S.A.
      • Florida
  • Pacific
    • North-central Pacific
      • Hawaii
    • Northwestern Pacific
      • Caroline Islands
      • Marianas
      • Marshall Islands
      • Wake Island
    • South-central Pacific
      • Cook Islands
      • Line Islands
      • Marquesas
      • Pitcairn Islands
      • Society Islands
      • Tuamotu
      • Tubuai Islands
    • Southwestern Pacific
      • Fiji
      • Gilbert Islands
      • Nauru
      • New Caledonia
      • Niue
      • Phoenix Islands
      • Tokelau-manihiki
      • Tonga
      • Tuvalu
      • Vanuatu
      • Wallis-Futuna Islands
  • Southern America
    • Brazil
      • Brazil Northeast
      • Brazil Southeast
    • Caribbean
      • Aruba
      • Bahamas
      • Cayman Islands
      • Cuba
      • Dominican Republic
      • Haiti
      • Jamaica
      • Leeward Islands
      • Netherlands Antilles
      • Puerto Rico
      • Trinidad-Tobago
      • Windward Islands
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • Panamá
    • Northern South America
      • French Guiana
      • Guyana
      • Suriname
      • Venezuela
    • Western South America
      • Colombia

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!
Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0001297273
Florida Plant Atlas 3702
USDA Plants IPVI
Tropicos 8500757
INPN 445585
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:270063-1
The Plant List tro-8500757
Open Tree Of Life 1003461
Observations.org 198741
NCBI Taxonomy 398502
Nature Serve 2.161314
IPNI 270063-1
iNaturalist 131556
GBIF 2928516
Freebase /m/0d6h1f
EPPO IPOVI
EOL 580410
Elurikkus 336373
USDA GRIN 20238
Wikipedia Ipomoea_violacea
Plantarium 54894

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.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
An unexpected role of EasDaf: catalyzing the conversion of chanoclavine aldehyde to chanoclavine acid Yu ZP, An C, Yao Y, Yan JZ, Gao SS, Gu YC, Wang CY, Cui C Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 07-May-2024
PMCID:PMC11076337
doi:10.1007/s00253-024-13157-8
PMID:38713233
Identification of Hypoglycemic Glycolipids from Ipomoea murucoides by Affinity-Directed Fractionation, In Vitro, In Silico and Dynamic Light Scattering Analysis Rosas-Ramírez D, Arreguín-Espinosa R, Escandón-Rivera S, Andrade-Cetto A, Mata-Torres G, Pérez-Solís R Plants (Basel) 26-Feb-2024
PMCID:PMC10934653
doi:10.3390/plants13050644
PMID:38475490
Emerging Non-Traditional Approaches to Combat Antibiotic Resistance Konwar AN, Hazarika SN, Bharadwaj P, Thakur D Curr Microbiol 25-Sep-2022
PMCID:PMC9510247
doi:10.1007/s00284-022-03029-7
PMID:36155858
Stem cambial variants of Taiwan lianas Yang SZ, Chen PH, Chen JJ Bot Stud 24-Sep-2022
PMCID:PMC9509506
doi:10.1186/s40529-022-00358-5
PMID:36153445
A Complete Review of Mexican Plants with Teratogenic Effects Chamorro-Cevallos G, Mojica-Villegas MA, García-Martínez Y, Pérez-Gutiérrez S, Madrigal-Santillán E, Vargas-Mendoza N, Morales-González JA, Cristóbal-Luna JM Plants (Basel) 24-Jun-2022
PMCID:PMC9268836
doi:10.3390/plants11131675
PMID:35807626
An Update on the Implications of New Psychoactive Substances in Public Health Simão AY, Antunes M, Cabral E, Oliveira P, Rosendo LM, Brinca AT, Alves E, Marques H, Rosado T, Passarinha LA, Andraus M, Barroso M, Gallardo E Int J Environ Res Public Health 17-Apr-2022
PMCID:PMC9028227
doi:10.3390/ijerph19084869
PMID:35457736
“Plants of the Gods” and their hallucinogenic powers in neuropharmacology — A review of two books Faria M Surg Neurol Int 12-Jul-2021
PMCID:PMC8326085
doi:10.25259/SNI_560_2021
Psychoactive Substances of Natural Origin: Toxicological Aspects, Therapeutic Properties and Analysis in Biological Samples Gonçalves J, Luís Â, Gallardo E, Duarte AP Molecules 05-Mar-2021
PMCID:PMC7961374
doi:10.3390/molecules26051397
PMID:33807728
Peculiar plants and fantastic fungi: An ethnobotanical study of the use of hallucinogenic plants and mushrooms in Slovenia Fatur K PLoS One 07-Jan-2021
PMCID:PMC7790546
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0245022
PMID:33412556
The Toxicology Investigators Consortium Case Registry—the 2019 Annual Report Spyres MB, Farrugia LA, Kang AM, Aldy K, Calello DP, Campleman SL, Li S, Beauchamp GA, Wiegand T, Wax PM, Brent J J Med Toxicol 01-Oct-2020
PMCID:PMC7554287
doi:10.1007/s13181-020-00810-7
PMID:33006128
Drug Bioavailability Enhancing Agents of Natural Origin (Bioenhancers) that Modulate Drug Membrane Permeation and Pre-Systemic Metabolism Peterson B, Weyers M, Steenekamp JH, Steyn JD, Gouws C, Hamman JH Pharmaceutics 16-Jan-2019
PMCID:PMC6359194
doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics11010033
PMID:30654429
When good times go bad: managing ‘legal high’ complications in the emergency department Caffrey CR, Lank PM Open Access Emerg Med 20-Dec-2017
PMCID:PMC5741979
doi:10.2147/OAEM.S120120
PMID:29302196
Herbal Highs: Review on Psychoactive Effects and Neuropharmacology Graziano S, Orsolini L, Rotolo MC, Tittarelli R, Schifano F, Pichini S Curr Neuropharmacol 01-Jul-2017
PMCID:PMC5771051
doi:10.2174/1570159X14666161031144427
PMID:27799032
Natural Products as Alternative Choices for P-Glycoprotein (P-gp) Inhibition Dewanjee S, K. Dua T, Bhattacharjee N, Das A, Gangopadhyay M, Khanra R, Joardar S, Riaz M, De Feo V, Zia-Ul-Haq M Molecules 25-May-2017
PMCID:PMC6152721
doi:10.3390/molecules22060871
PMID:28587082
Using multiple traits to assess the potential of introduced and native vines to proliferate in a tropical region Delgado DL, Figueroa J, Restrepo C Ecol Evol 21-Nov-2016
PMCID:PMC5192952
doi:10.1002/ece3.2588
PMID:28035272

Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
Name PubChem ID Canonical SMILES MW Found in Proof
> Alkaloids and derivatives / Ergoline and derivatives / Clavines and derivatives
(8alpha)-9,10-Didehydro-6,8-dimethylergolin-8-ol 11482216 Click to see 254.33 unknown https://doi.org/10.4141/CJPS86-048
Agroclavine 73484 Click to see CC1=CC2C(CC3=CNC4=CC=CC2=C34)N(C1)C 238.33 unknown https://doi.org/10.4141/CJPS86-048
> Alkaloids and derivatives / Ergoline and derivatives / Lysergic acids and derivatives / Ergopeptines
Ergosinine 10030389 Click to see 547.60 unknown https://doi.org/10.4141/CJPS86-048
> Alkaloids and derivatives / Ergoline and derivatives / Lysergic acids and derivatives / Lysergamides
(6aR,9R)-N-[(1S)-1-hydroxyethyl]-7-methyl-6,6a,8,9-tetrahydro-4H-indolo[4,3-fg]quinoline-9-carboxamide 94842968 Click to see 311.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/NP070040H
(6aR,9S)-N-[(1S)-1-hydroxyethyl]-7-methyl-6,6a,8,9-tetrahydro-4H-indolo[4,3-fg]quinoline-9-carboxamide 162915534 Click to see 311.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/NP070040H
Ergometrine 443884 Click to see CC(CO)NC(=O)C1CN(C2CC3=CNC4=CC=CC(=C34)C2=C1)C 325.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/NP070040H
https://doi.org/10.4141/CJPS86-048
Isolysergic acid amide 12309749 Click to see CN1CC(C=C2C1CC3=CNC4=CC=CC2=C34)C(=O)N 267.33 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/NP070040H
Lysergic acid alpha-hydroxyethylamide 134553 Click to see 311.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/NP070040H
> Alkaloids and derivatives / Ergoline and derivatives / Lysergic acids and derivatives / Lysergic acids
(6aR,9S)-7-methyl-6,6a,8,9-tetrahydro-4H-indolo[4,3-fg]quinoline-9-carboxylic acid;1-aminoethanol 163191040 Click to see CC(N)O.CN1CC(C=C2C1CC3=CNC4=CC=CC2=C34)C(=O)O 329.40 unknown https://doi.org/10.1021/NP070040H
> Alkaloids and derivatives / Tropane alkaloids
(1R,2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-1,2,3,4,6-pentol 10081256 Click to see C1C(C2C(C(C(C1(N2)O)O)O)O)O 191.18 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(97)01082-0

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