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| NAS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species |
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Common Name: water-spinach, swamp morning-glory
Synonyms and Other Names: Ipomoea reptans
Taxonomy: available through 
Identification: A hollow-stemmed perennial vine with stems that reach lengths up to 4 meters and may float on the water surface, creep on mud or grow over other plants. Leaves are variable, but typically are 3-15 cm long, and 1-10 cm wide, alternately arranged along the stem and sagittate (arrowhead-shaped). Basal lobes rounded or acute and apex acute to obtuse and the leaf margin may appear slightly sinuate. Petioles are long, ranging from 3-20 cm. The showy morning-glory-like flowers are up to 5 cm wide, funnel-shaped and range in color from white to pink to pale lilac. Plants may go dormant during dry months, with reduced stems and leaves (Holm et al. 1997). Reproduction via seed and vegetative fragments (Holm et al. 1997, Wagner et al 2005).
Native Range:
Central and south China, India, Sri, Lanka, and Thailand.
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Interactive maps: Continental US, Alaska, Hawaii, Caribbean
Nonindigenous Occurrences: Hawaii, Florida, California, Puerto Rico
Also introduced and/or naturalized in numerous SE Indian Islands, Southern Africa, South America, the Carribean, and Australia (PIER 2008)
Ecology: Grows in still to flowing aquatic fresh-water habitats including shallow waters of canals, pools, ditches, lakes, swampy lowlands, and rice fields. Intolerance to frost limits its distribution to tropical to warm temperate areas.
Means of Introduction: Infestations may be intentional or accidental, resulting from seed or vegetative fragments escaping cultivation or contaminated agricultural crops like rice, jute, cocoa, peanuts (Holm et al. 1997).
Status: Federal Noxious Weed List (as of June 30, 2006).
Impact of Introduction: This weedy species infests up to 20 crops world-wide and many of its impacts are similar to other well known aquatic weeds like Eichhornia, Pistia and Salvinia. Intertwined stems form dense mats on water surfaces, shading out native submersed aquatics and competing with emergent species which may be important for fish and wildlife (PIER 2008). These masses of tangled vegetation can slow water flow in drainage and flood control canals (Holm et al. 1997). Stagnant water resulting from infestations of water spinach may become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and in its native range of Thailand I. aquatica is known to provide habitat for snails that are vectors for human diseases (Holm et al. 1997, ISSG 2006).
Remarks:
References
Other Resources:
Author: V. Howard
Revision Date: 2/13/2008 Citation for this information:
V. Howard. 2009. Ipomoea aquatica. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL.
<http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=234> Revision Date: 2/13/2008
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