Ipomoea fistulosa v. nicaraguensis Donnell Smith, 1894
Ipomoea fistulosa f. albiflora Chodat & Hassl., 1905
Ipomoea crassicaulis (Bentham) B. L. Robinson, 1916
Ipomoea crassicaulis v. goodellii O.Deg., 1936
Ipomoea carnea, the pink morning glory, is a species of morning glory that grows as a bush. This flowering plant has heart-shaped leaves that are a rich green and 6–9 inches (15–23 cm) long. It can be easily grown from seeds. These seeds are toxic and it can be hazardous to cattle; the toxicity is related to the swainsonine produced by its endophytes,[1] and to bioaccumulation of selenium in the leaves but mostly in the seeds.[2] Ingestion of seeds or leaves causes abnormal endocrine functions and gastrointestinal functions, immune system alternation, abnormality in embryogenesis.[3]
The stem of I. carnea can be used for making paper.[4] The plant is also of medicinal value.[4] It contains a component identical to marsilin, a sedative and anticonvulsant.[4] A glycosidic saponin has also been purified from I. carnea with anticarcinogenic and oxytocic properties.[4]
One selection of I. carnea, 'Inducer', has been used as a rootstock for inducing flowering of sweetpotato cultivars which otherwise prove reticent to produce flowers.[5]
Another common name is "bush morning glory", but particularly in temperate North America, that usually refers to I. leptophylla.
In Brazil, I. carnea (in addition to other common names) is known as canudo-de-pito, literally "pipe-cane", as its hollow stems were used to make tubes for tobacco pipes. It thus became the namesake of Canudos, a religious community in the sertão of Bahia, over which the War of Canudos was fought 1893–1897.
Leaves of an Ipomoea carnea plant.
Ipomoea carnea flowers
Flowers in Ranchi, India
Pollen grains taken from plant in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, India
^Gardner, DR; Cook, D (2016). "Analysis of Swainsonine and Swainsonine N-Oxide as Trimethylsilyl Derivatives by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Their Relative Occurrence in Plants Toxic to Livestock". J Agric Food Chem. 64 (31): 6156–62. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.6b02390. PMID27436221.
^Sabogal, Ana; Dunin Borkowski (December 2007). "[Estado actual de la investigación sobre Ipomoea carnea: toxicidad en ganado caprino]". Revista de Química (January–December 2007). Lima, Perú: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú: 29–35. ISSN1012-3946.