Plant: perennial herb; tuberous roots; stems prostrate but twining near the tips, glabrous

Leaves: orbicular in outline, palmately 5-9 lobed, the lobes linear to lanceolate, 1-7 cm long, 0.5-6.5 mm wide, entire, glabrous, the base cordate, the petioles 2-38 mm long

INFLORESCENCE: mostly 1-flowered; peduncles (1-)5-39 mm long; bracts linear to deltoid-attenuate, 1-3 mm long

Flowers: pedicels (0-)2.5-8 mm long, recurved in fruit; sepals unequal with scarious margins, the outer oblong-lanceolate, 5-11.5 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, muricate along the midrib or almost smooth, mucronate, the inner 8-9 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, obovate-acuminate, smooth; corollas funnelform or salverform, glabrous, 3.5-10 cm long, completely white or white with pale rose to purple limb, the limb 3-3.6 cm wide; stamens exserted, the filaments 8-19 mm long, the anthers 2-2.5 mm long; ovary ovoid, 1.5-2 mm long and wide, 2-locular, glabrous; styles 30-36 mm long; stigmas 2, globose

Fruit: FRUITS globose to broadly ovoid, 4-8 mm wide, the apiculum 4-5 mm long. SEEDS 1-4, 3.5-5 mm long, ovoid, black to dark brown, finely appressed tomentose

Misc: Oak and pinyon-juniper woodlands; Aug-Sep

REFERENCES: Austin, Daniel F. 1998. J. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. Convolvulaceae 30(2): 61.

Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Vine

General: Perennial herb with tuberous roots, twining or prostrate, glabrous.

Leaves: Palmately divided leaves, with 5-9 linear to lanceolate lobes, 1-7 cm long, petioles 2-38 mm long.

Flowers: Funnelform or salverform, white to deep purple or with a white throat and purple tip, 3.5-10 cm long, stamens exserted, 8-19 mm long, anthers 2-2.5 mm long, calyx and pedicel warty, sepals unequal with thin and membranaceous margins.

Fruits: Globose to broadly ovoid capsule, 4-8 mm wide, seeds 1-4, 3.5-5 mm long, finely tomentose.

Ecology: Found in oak and juniper woodlands, to 6,000 ft (1829 m); flowering August-September.

Notes: This species looks similar to a couple of other Ipomoea that have divided leaves (I. capillacea and I. plummerae), however, I. tenuiloba has generally larger leaves with more divisions, and tends towards having white flowers, although other colors are known, mostly deep purple.

Ethnobotany: There is no specific use for this species, but the genus was used as an emetic, to treat worms and constipation, as a tonic, to treat asthma, and the tubers were used as food.

Synonyms: None

Editor: LCrumbacher, 2011