Ipomoea corymbosa

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Legendrea corymbosa var. mollissima
• Legendrea corymbosa
• Turbina corymbosa f. mollissima
• Rivea corymbosa var. mollissima
• Merremia umbellata var. minor
• Rivea corymbosa var. paniculata
• Ipomoea cordifolia
• Ipomoea domingensis
• Turbina corymbosa
• Quamoclit domingensis
• Ipomoea antillana
• Rivea corymbosa
• Convolvulus corymbosus
• Convolvulus monospermus
• Legendrea mollissima
• Convolvulus sidifolius
• Convolvulus laevicaulis

Sources: Wikidata

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Solanales, it is classified under the family Convolvulaceae. It is specifically identified by the genus Ipomoea, with the species name corymbosa.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a widespread distribution across several distinct tropical and subtropical regions. In the Macaronesian region, its presence is noted specifically within the Canary Islands. Its range extends into West-Central Tropical Africa, where it can be found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Moving toward South Tropical Africa, the species is also documented in Mozambique. Finally, it inhabits parts of the Western Indian Ocean, including Mauritius and Rodrigues.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Ipomoea corymbosa is characterized by its ability to inhabit a diverse range of environments, spanning from sea level up to an elevation of 1000 m AMSL. This species demonstrates significant adaptability to various ecological settings, frequently occurring in anthropogenic areas (Área Antrópica) as well as within more natural landscapes such as scrublands (Carrasco), riparian forests or gallery forests (Floresta Ciliar ou Galeria), and ombrophilous forests (Floresta Ombrófila), including rain forests (Floresta Pluvial). This wide distribution across different forest types and human-altered landscapes suggests a resilient ecological niche capable of thriving in both undisturbed humid ecosystems and disturbed habitats.

Elevational range max:

1000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Área Antrópica, Carrasco, Floresta Ciliar ou Galeria, Floresta Ombrófila (= Floresta Pluvial)

Life history

The life history of Ipomoea corymbosa is characterized by its ability to function across a variable lifecycle, often manifesting as an annual, biennial, or perennial plant depending on environmental conditions and local ecological stability. As a climbing herb, its development begins with seed germination, leading to the establishment of a trailing or twining stem that seeks structural support to reach sunlight. Throughout its growth phases, the plant allocates energy toward developing a robust root system and expansive foliage to support its reproductive stages. The progression from vegetative growth to the flowering phase is a critical component of its life history, during which it produces characteristic blooms that facilitate pollination. Depending on whether the individual follows an annual or perennial trajectory, the plant may complete its entire reproductive cycle within a single growing season or persist through multiple years, allowing it to colonize diverse habitats and maintain long-term presence in its ecosystem.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Ipomoea corymbosa is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and a climbing forb. It functions as an obligatory liana, utilizing a vine-like habit to ascend supports, rather than being self-supporting. As a terrestrial plant, it does not exhibit epiphytic behavior, whether as a holoepiphyte or hemiepiphyte, and instead maintains an independent lifestyle without acting as a parasite. Its life cycle is strictly terrestrial, lacking aquatic or semiaquatic adaptations, and it maintains a soft, non-woody structure throughout its development.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

liana

Climber :

obligatory

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Ipomoea corymbosa is fundamentally characterized by its C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its metabolic processes and carbon fixation efficiency. Under this pathway, the initial fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide occurs through the enzyme RuBisCO, resulting in the formation of a three-carbon compound, 3-phosphoglycerate. This metabolic framework suggests that the plant is most physiologically optimized for environments with moderate temperatures and sufficient moisture, as the C3 pathway is susceptible to photorespiration when stomatal conductance decreases under heat or water stress. The energy conversion process within its chloroplasts relies on the light-dependent reactions to generate ATP and NADPH, which subsequently drive the Calvin cycle to synthesize carbohydrates. This physiological arrangement governs the plant's growth rate, water-use efficiency, and overall carbon assimilation strategies throughout its life cycle.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Ipomoea corymbosa is characterized by the production of seeds contained within a capsule fruit type. These fruits are dehiscent, meaning they undergo a natural splitting process to release the seeds upon maturity. The seeds produced by this species exhibit specific mass variations, with a minimum seed mass of 0.02344 g and a maximum seed mass of 0.033 g. On average, the seed mass for this plant is approximately 0.0266475 g.

Dehiscence :

dehiscent

Fruit type :

capsule

Seed mass max:

0.033 g

Seed mass mean:

0.0266475 g

Seed mass min:

0.02344 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Ipomoea corymbosa has 12 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 1,7-dimethylphenanthrene, CHANOCLAVINE, Ergine, Ergometrine, Ergometrinine.

1,7-dimethylphenanthrene

1. Dr. Duke

CHANOCLAVINE

1. Dr. Duke

Ergine

1. Dr. Duke

Ergometrine

1. Dr. Duke

Ergometrinine

1. Dr. Duke

Isoergine

1. Dr. Duke

Lysergic acid amide

1. Neurologia (Barcelona, Spain)

PHENANTHRENE

1. Dr. Duke

Penniclavine

1. Dr. Duke

lysergol

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Ipomoea corymbosa has 38 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Hallucinogenic, Abortifacient, Analgesic, Antianxiety, Antidementia.

Hallucinogenic

1. PloS one
2. Neurologia (Barcelona, Spain)

Abortifacient

1. Dr. Duke

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke

Antianxiety

1. Dr. Duke

Antidementia

1. Dr. Duke

Antidepressant

1. Dr. Duke

Antidyskinetic

1. Dr. Duke

Antihypertensive

1. Dr. Duke

Antiimplantation

1. Dr. Duke

Antiinsomniac

1. Dr. Duke

Preparations