Ipomoea obscura

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The Ipomoea obscura, commonly known as the obscure morning glory or the small white morning glory, is a species of the genus Ipomoea. It is an invasive species native to parts of Africa, Asia, and certain Pacific Islands. While the plant's seeds are toxic, the leaves can be used for many different medicinal purposes.

Contents

Etymology

Ipomoea obscura
Small white morning glory (Ipomoea obscura) in Hyderabad, AP W IMG 7089.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Convolvulaceae
Genus: Ipomoea
Species:
I. obscura
Binomial name
Ipomoea obscura
(L.) Ker Gawl.
Synonyms

Ipomoea luteola R.Br. (non Jacq.: preoccupied)

The name Ipomoea comes from the Greek root íps, or ipós, meaning "woodworm", [1] and the Greek adjective homoios,meaning "same as". [2] Obscura comes from the Latin word obscurus, meaning obscure. [3]

Description

The petals of Ipomoea obscura are white or pale yellow. They have darker midpetaline bands and a purple center. Its seeds can be black or brown, and they are 4–5 mm. [4] When it is able to grow, it becomes a twining vine with a stem that grows 2 to 3 meters long.

Habitat

Ipomoea obscura perennial vine that is found in disturbed areas, cultivated fields, natural grasslands, shrublands, coastal areas, savanas, forest edges, and open fields. It can be found from sea level to 1800 m. In addition to being cultivated by humans, it is dispersed naturally as an escape from cultivation. The introduction of Ipomoea obscura into new habitats has many different causes, such as garden waste disposal, disturbance, and medicinal use. [5]

Ipomoea obscura is found as a weed in certain plants, such as tobacco and maize. In India, it infests fields of sugar cane, cotton, maize, and soybeans. In Thailand, it infests pineapple fields. [5]

Distribution

While Ipomoea obscura has been introduced to many places, it is native to tropical Africa, tropical Asia, northern Australia. It is generally accepted that it is also native to Fiji, but it is reported as introduced to Fiji by Greenwood (1949). Through human introduction, it is also found in various parts of Asia, Africa, North America, the Caribbean, and Oceania. [6]

Medicinal Uses

The dried leaves of Ipomoea obscura contain an extract that can be used as a source of antioxidant and as an anti-inflammatory. [7] This extract has also been found to inhibit the growth and proliferation of tumor cells. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Ipomoea</i> Genus of flowering plants

Ipomoea is the largest genus in the plant family Convolvulaceae, with over 600 species. It is a large and diverse group, with common names including morning glory, water convolvulus or water spinach, sweet potato, bindweed, moonflower, etc. The genus occurs throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, and comprises annual and perennial herbaceous plants, lianas, shrubs, and small trees; most of the species are twining climbing plants.

<i>Argyreia nervosa</i> Species of plant

Argyreia nervosa is a perennial climbing vine native to the Indian subcontinent and introduced to numerous areas worldwide, including Hawaii, Africa, and the Caribbean. Though it can be invasive, it is often prized for its aesthetic and medicinal value. Common names include Hawaiian baby woodrose, adhoguda अधोगुडा or vidhara विधारा (Sanskrit), elephant creeper and woolly morning glory. Its seeds are known for their powerful entheogenic properties, greater or similar to those of Ipomoea species, with users reporting significant psychedelic and spiritual experiences. The two botanical varieties are A. n. var. nervosa described here, and A. n. var. speciosa, which are used in Ayurvedic medicine for their medicinal value.

<i>Ipomoea aquatica</i> Species of plant

Ipomoea aquatica, widely known as water spinach, is a semi-aquatic, tropical plant grown as a vegetable for its tender shoots. I. aquatica is generally believed to have been first domesticated in Southeast Asia. It is widely cultivated in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and South Asia. It grows abundantly near waterways and requires little to no care.

<i>Solanum nigrum</i> Species of flowering plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae

Solanum nigrum, the European black nightshade or simply black nightshade or blackberry nightshade, is a species of flowering plant in the family Solanaceae, native to Eurasia and introduced in the Americas, Australasia, and South Africa. Ripe berries and cooked leaves of edible strains are used as food in some locales, and plant parts are used as a traditional medicine. Some other species may also be referred to as "black nightshade".

<i>Ipomoea quamoclit</i> Species of plant in the family Convolvulaceae

Ipomoea quamoclit, commonly known as cypress vine, cypress vine morning glory, cardinal creeper, cardinal vine, star glory, star of Bethlehem or hummingbird vine, is a species of vine in the family Convolvulaceae native to tropical regions of the Americas and naturalized elsewhere in the tropics.

<i>Ipomoea cairica</i> Species of vine

Ipomoea cairica is a vining, herbaceous, perennial plant with palmate leaves and large, showy white to lavender flowers. A species of morning glory, it has many common names, including mile-a-minute vine, Messina creeper, Cairo morning glory, coast morning glory and railroad creeper. The species name cairica translates to "from Cairo", the city where this species was first collected.

<i>Ipomoea tuberculata</i> Species of flowering plant

Ipomoea tuberculata is a flowering plant species in the bindweed family (Convolvulaceae). It belongs to the morning glory genus, Ipomoea.

<i>Petasites japonicus</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Petasites japonicus, also known as butterbur, giant butterbur, great butterbur and sweet-coltsfoot, is an herbaceous perennial plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to China, Japan, Korea and Sakhalin and introduced in Europe and North America. It was introduced to southern British Columbia in Canada by Japanese migrants.

<i>Plantago asiatica</i> Species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae

Plantago asiatica, is a self-fertile, perennial flowering plant of genus Plantago. The plant is native to East Asia. It grows really well in disturbed areas like roadsides or even dirt roads. It is valued for its use in folk medicine and it also can be used in cooking.

<i>Mikania micrantha</i> Species of flowering plant

Mikania micrantha is a tropical plant in the family Asteraceae; known as bitter vine, climbing hemp vine, or American rope. It is also sometimes called mile-a-minute vine. It is known as Japani lota in Assam.

<i>Curculigo capitulata</i> Species of flowering plant

Curculigo capitulata is a stout herb that belongs to the genus Curculigo. It is known by the common names palm grass, whale back, and weevil lily, and by various synonyms, including Molineria capitulata. It ranges from the Himalayas and eastern India through Indochina, southern China, Malesia, and New Guinea to Queensland and the Solomon Islands. The plant has yellow flowers and oblong, papery pleated leaves with very short stems. In China and India, the plant has traditional uses as medicine to treat diseases such as hemorrhoids, asthma, and consumptive cough. In Southeast Asia, the plant is also used as food wrapping and the fibres are used to make fishing nets, ropes and false hair. However, in recent years Molineria capitulata is more often used as ornamental plants in gardens. In recent studies, M. capitulata was also found to have potential in treating several chronic diseases due to its high antifungal, antioxidant, cytotoxic, thrombolytic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities.

<i>Boerhavia coccinea</i> Species of plant

Boerhavia coccinea is a species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family which is known by many common names, including scarlet spiderling, red boerhavia, and in Spanish, hierba del cancer and hierba de la hormiga. The plant exists in many parts of the world and is an invasive species in most. Despite its expanded distribution and weed-like characteristics, the plant has historically been used for its medicinal properties.

<i>Ipomoea coccinea</i> Species of flowering plant

Ipomoea coccinea is a flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae known by several common names including red morning glory, redstar and (ambiguously) Mexican morning glory.

<i>Ipomoea lacunosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Ipomoea lacunosa, the whitestar, white morning-glory or pitted morning-glory, is a species that belongs to the genus Ipomoea. In this genus most members are commonly referred to as "morning glories". The name for the genus, Ipomoea, has root in the Greek words ips and homoios, which translates to worm-like. This is a reference to the plant's vine-like growth. Lacunosa comes from a Latin word meaning air spaces, correlating with the venation of the leaves. Ipomoea lacunosa is native to the United States and grows annually. The flowers of this species are usually white and smaller than most other morning glories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bakuchiol</span> Chemical compound

Bakuchiol is a meroterpenoid in the class terpenophenol.

<i>Ipomoea oenotherae</i> Species of flowering plant

Ipomoea oenotherae is a species of plant of the morning glory genus, Ipomoea, in the family Convolvulaceae. It derives its name from the resemblance it bears to plants in the genus Oenothera. Ipomoea oenotherae is a succulent and a cryptophyte.

<i>Alnus nitida</i> Species of plant in the genus Alnus

Alnus nitida, the west Himalayan alder, is a species in the genus Alnus, native to Pakistan, the western Himalayas, and Nepal. It is a tree reaching 20 to 25 m, preferring to live along the banks of rivers. It is used locally for timber and firewood, and as a street tree. The bark is used in some places for tanning and dyeing purposes. It grows well in heavy, clay soils and tolerates infertile soils. The leaves are thin, oval to ovate, 3-6 inches long and 2-3 inches wide. Female flowers appear first, followed by male catkinss in September to October, which may be up to 19 cm long. The fruits are woody cones, typically 2.5-3.5 cm long.

<i>Chuquiraga spinosa</i> Flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to Peru and Bolivia

Chuquiraga spinosa, common name huamanpinta in Spanish, is a species of flowering plant of the family Asteraceae. Native to Perú and Bolivia, it is used in traditional medicine for its anti-inflammatory properties.

<i>Akebia trifoliata</i> Species of plant

Akebia trifoliata also known as chocolate vine,three leaf chocolate vine or three leaf akebia, is a relative of the more commonly known Akebia quinata

References

  1. "Ipomoea, n.", Oxford English Dictionary (3 ed.), Oxford University Press, 2023-03-02, doi:10.1093/oed/1917914110 , retrieved 2023-11-05
  2. Nagy, G. (2010-10-15), Mitsis, Phillip; Tsagalis, Christos (eds.), "8. The Meaning of homoios (όμοĩος) in Theogony 27 and Elsewhere", Allusion, Authority, and Truth, DE GRUYTER, pp. 153–168, doi:10.1515/9783110245400.1.153, ISBN   978-3-11-024539-4 , retrieved 2023-11-05
  3. "Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, obscūrus". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  4. "Ipomoea obscura in Flora of China @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  5. 1 2 Vélez-Gavilán, Jeanine (2022-01-07). Ipomoea obscura (obscure morning glory) (Report). doi: 10.1079/cabicompendium.119819 .
  6. "Ipomoea obscura (L.) Ker Gawl. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  7. Rathod, Manjula; Mathad, Pratima (2018). "Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activity in Fresh and Dry Leaves of Ipomoea Obscura (L.) Kew-Gawl". International Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences. 8 (1). ISSN   2321-3272.
  8. Hamsa, T. P.; Kuttan, Girija (2011-06-01). "Evaluation of the Anti-inflammatory and Anti-tumor Effect of Ipomoea obscura (L) and Its Mode of Action Through the Inhibition of Pro Inflammatory Cytokines, Nitric Oxide and COX-2". Inflammation. 34 (3): 171–183. doi:10.1007/s10753-010-9221-4. ISSN   1573-2576.

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