Common Name: Swamp Morning Glory

General Information

Ipomoea aquatica is a fast-growing, annual or perennial plant with prostrate stems 2 - 3 metres long that sprawl over the ground, float in water or twine into other plants for support[]. The plant roots freely at the nodes and can form large clumps of growth.
The plant is a very popular leaf vegetable, especially in Asian markets. It is harvested from the wild and is also commonly cultivated, especially in Asia. The plant also has traditional medicinal uses[, ].

Known Hazards

Accumulation of heavy metals in the plant has been reported in Asia, mainly because the plants are often grown in polluted water[].

Botanical References

Range

Pantropical.

Habitat

Moist, marshy or inundated localities, shallow pools, ditches, rice fields, forming dense masses[]. Also found along roadsides at elevations from sea-level up to 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	0.50 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Self, Bees, Butterflies
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated

Cultivation Details

Swamp morning glory is a plant of the moist to wet, lowland tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 15 - 35°c, but can tolerate 10 - 40°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,000 - 2,500mm, but tolerates 700 - 4,200mm[].
Plants grow well in full sun[]. A very easy plant to grow, it succeeds in bathtubs, ponds and still water[]. Succeeds in a wide range of soils, including heavy clays[]. Best leaf production comes from plants grown in soils rich in organic matter[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 7, tolerating 4.3 - 7.5[].
The plant is widespread as a swamp weed in all tropical and many subtropical lowland areas. It is a declared aquatic or terrestrial noxious weed in the south-eastern United States[].
A very fast-growing plant, it starts developing lateral branches from cotyledonary buds 2 - 3 weeks after sowing. Thereafter the main axis and both laterals each produce about one leaf every 2 - 3 days[, ].
Cultivars selected for once-over harvest or uprooting have retarded branching or almost no branching. Their harvest takes place 21 - 30 days after sowing[, ].
Cut and come again harvesting of vegetatively propagated plants or wild plants can start about one month after plant establishment[]. Flowering commences after 2 - 5 months, but the plant continues to form new leaves and branches[].
Swamp morning glory is a quantitative short-day plant, early flowering being induced by short days of less than 12 hours. Flowering is also stimulated by drought[].
There are some named varieties[].
Two main forms exist in cultivation:-
A short-lived perennial form grows in very wet soils and water (it has been named Ipomoea aquatica aquatica by some authorities). This form can produce yields ofup to 90 tonnes per hectare in Thailand[].
An annual creeping form tolerates drier conditions (this has been named Ipomoea aquatica reptans)[].
Under dryland cultivation, yields per crop can range from 7 - 30 tonnes per hectare, averaging 20 tonnes. In theory one crop can be produced every month leading to a potential yield of around 240 tonnes per hectare in a year[] produce.

Edible Uses

Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked[, ]. The tasty leaves are produced all year round[]. The youngest shoot tips can be added to salads, older leaves are cooked and make a mild-flavoured spinach[]. The leaves can be stir-fried, steamed, boiled for a few minutes or lightly fried in oil and eaten in various dishes. They are often mixed with hot peppers and garlic and prepared with a savoury dish[]. Very nutritious, the leaves are a good source of protein as well as providing good quantities of vitamin A, iron, calcium and phosphorus[].

Roots - occasionally cooked and eaten[, ].

Medicinal

The young shoots are mildly laxative and are used by diabetic patients[]. A decoction of the leaves is used to treat coughs[]. The fried leaves are eaten to cool down a fever[].
The crushed leaves are applied as a poultice on sores and boils[, ].

A paste made from the buds is used to treat ringworm[, ].

The roots are laxative, tonic and antidote[]. They are used in the treatment of opium or arsenic poisoning, and also to counter the effects of drinking unhealthy water[].
A decoction of the roots is used as a wash against haemorrhoids[, ].

The plant has shown oral hypoglycaemic activity in tests with diabetic humans; it was shown that an aqueous leaf extract can be as effective as tolbutamide in reducing blood glucose levels[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ in moist to wet soil[]. Only the annual form is usually propagated this way[]. Germination rates of local cultivars are often low (less than 60%) because of hard-seededness induced by long storage. Reliable seed companies supply improved cultivars with a high (in excess of 80%) germination percentage. The seeds do not germinate well at temperatures lower than 25°c[].
Cuttings of young shoots at any time of the year. The shoots readily produce roots, even whilst still on the parent plant[].

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