Ipomoea ternifolia, Tripleleaf Morning-glory
Scientific Name: Ipomoea ternifolia
Common Name: Tripleleaf Morning-glory
Also Called: Ipomoea
Family: Convolvulaceae, Morning Glory Family
Synonyms: ()
Status: Native
Duration: Annual
Size: Low growing, prostrate, trailing and climbing on adjacent plants.
Growth Form: Forb/herb; vine; twining with slender stems, grows on neighboring plants.
Leaves: Green; leaves on short stems or petioles, leaves deeply dissected palmately, 5 to 11 variable but basically linear lobes.
Flower Color: Purple; solitary flowers on slender pedicels, flowers tubular or funnel-form, sepals not equal in size, flowers glabrous, fruit is a globose capsule.
Flowering Season: August to September.
Elevation: 6,000 feet.
Habitat Preferences:
Desert scrub, grasslands, higher elevations.
Recorded Range: Tripleleaf Morning-glory is rare in the United States where it only occurs in Arizona and Texas. It is also found in Baja California and northern Mexico.
In Arizona it is found in the central, south and southeast parts of the state.
North America & US County Distribution Map for Ipomoea ternifolia.
U.S. Weed Information: No information available.
Invasive/Noxious Weed Information: The genus Ipomoea is listed as a Noxious Weed by Arizona and Arkansas. Exceptions in Arizona are:
Ipomoea carnea, Mexican bush morning glory,
Ipomoea triloba, Three-lobed Morning Glory, and
Ipomoea arborescens, Morning Glory Tree the federal government and/or a State.
Plants included here are invasive or noxious.
Wetland Indicator: No information available.
Threatened/Endangered Information: No information available.
Ipomoea ternifolia var. leptotoma, Tripleleaf Morning-glory.
Comments: There is not much information in the literature or online for this species.
As with many Morning-glories, Tripleleaf Morning-glory attracts bees, butterflies and birds.
Also see in Southwest Desert Flora; Canyon Morning-glory, Ipomoea barbatisepala, Purple Morning-glory, Ipomoea capillacea, Crestrib Morning-glory, Ipomoea costellata, Trans-Pecos morning-glory, Ipomoea cristulata, Ivyleaf Morning-glory, Ipomoea hederacea and Pinkthroat Morning-glory, Ipomoea longifolia.