Ipomoea fistulosa Mart. ex Choisy, Prodr. 9: 349 349 (1845)

Synonyms
Batatas crassicualis Benth.
Convolvulus batatilla Kunth
Ipomoea batatilla (Kunth) G. Don
Ipomoea carnea forma albiflora Moldenke
Ipomoea carnea subsp. fistulosa (Mart. ex Choisy) D.F. Austin
Ipomoea crassicaulis (Benth.) B.L. Rob.
Ipomoea fistulosa var. nicaraguensis Donn. Sm.
Ipomoea fruticosa Kuntze
Ipomoea gossypioides Parodi
Ipomoea gossypioides Hort. ex Dammann
Ipomoea nicaraguensis (Donn. Sm.) House
Ipomoea texana J.M. Coult.

Description
Shrub up to 3 m tall. Twigs with white sap. Leaves alternate, simple, palmately-veined, leaf heart-shaped with cordate base. Flowers ca. 100 mm in diameter, white-pink-violet, placed in several flowered cymes. Fruits ca. 18 mm long, capsules, containing up to 4 hairy seeds.

Ecology
Escaped from cultivation and naturalized at low altitudes along rivers, canals, sometimes on the beach. On open places.

Uses
Cultivated as an ornamental plant. The leaves are eaten as a vegetable by the Madurese.

Distribution
Native of America (Mexico and Florida to Brazil and Paraguay). Introduced in other parts of the (sub-)tropics.