Plant: Annual twining vine; from slender taproots; stems erect at first, in age trailing or twining at tips

Leaves: sessile or on petioles 1-3 cm long, deeply palmately dissected, the segments 5-9, linear, linear-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 7-25 mm long

INFLORESCENCE: of mostly solitary flowers on peduncles 1-3(-7) cm long; bracts subulate, to 1 mm long

Flowers: on pedicels 15-25 mm long, erect in fruit; sepals oblong-lanceolate, acute, mucronulate, scarious-margined, the outer sepals 3-5 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, the inner sepals 4-6 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, at least the inner sepals slightly rugose along the veins; corollas pale lavender to pink, 1-1.2 cm long; stamens 3-5 mm long, with white trichomes along filaments, the anthers 1 mm long; ovary ovoid, 1 mm long, 2-locular, cream, glabrous; styles 4 mm long, green

Fruit: FRUITS tan, globose to ellipsoid-globose, 4-5 mm wide, the caducous apiculum 1-2 mm long. SEEDS 3-4, 3 mm long, ovoid, black, glabrous

Misc: Rocky sites in chaparral, oak woodland and ponderosa pine zones; 1000-2150 m (3200-7000 ft); Jul-Oct

Notes: Leaves divided into 5-9 narrow linear-oblanceolate segments.Capsule is tan in color.Corolla funnelform. Stems twining or spreading-ascending.

References: Austin, Daniel F. 1998. J. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. Convolvulaceae 30(2): 61. Kearney & Peebles; Arizona Flora. ASU specimans

Duration: Annual

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Vine

General: Annual herb, 10-120 cm or more long, from a slender taproot; stems slender, erect when young and later trailing and slightly twining, with several low longitudinal ridges; herbage mostly glabrorus.

Leaves: Alternate along the stems, sessile or nearly so; blades deeply incised into 5-9 linear to oblanceolate segments (the outer of which may be further divided), the segments 7-35 mm long and 1-3 mm wide.

Flowers: Small but showy and pinkish, solitary (occasionally in pairs) in leaf axils on flower stalks 2-5 cm long; sepals 5, somewhat unequal, 3-6 mm long, oblong to lanceolate, with membranous margins; corolla funnel-shaped, 8-12 mm long, pink to lavender to white.

Fruits: Capsules globose, 4-6 mm wide, tan-colored, on erect stalks; containing 1 to several seeds.

Ecology: Found in rocky areas in chaparral, oak woodlands, and ponderosa pine forests; 3,000-7,000 ft (914-2134 m); flowers July-October.

Distribution: AZ, NM, TX; south to s MEX.

Notes: Distinguished from other regional Ipomoea by being hairless on leaves and stems; a growth form more low-growing and less robust than some of the larger morning glories; leaves deeply palmately dissected into thin, narrow divisions; a long peduncle (flower stalk); hairless sepals, and small pink corolla tubes that are about 1 cm long.

Ethnobotany: Unknown

Etymology: Ipomoea comes from Greek ips, a worm and homoios, like, referring to plant's vining growth form; costellata comes from costa, Latin for ribbed, referring to the stems.

Synonyms: Ipomoea costellata var. costellata

Editor: SBuckley 2010, FSCoburn 2015, AHazelton 2017