1293

Ipomoea nil (L.) Roth

Synonym	:	Ipomoea nil var. setosa ( Ker Gawl.)  Boerl.
Family	:	Convolvulaceae
Local name	:	English- Morning glory Malayalam- Thalliyari
Flowering and fruiting period	:	November-January
Distribution	:	India: Throughout
Distribution in Kerala	:	All districts
Habitat	:	Cosmopolitian, Deciduous forests, also in the plains
Uses	:	The seed is anthelmintic, anticholinergic, antifungal, antispasmodic, antitumour, diuretic and laxative
Key botanical characters:  Hirsute annual twiners. Leaves 3-lobed, rarely entire, 5-12 x 4.5-11 cm, ovate to suborbicular, base cordate, apex acute to acuminate, pubescent; petiole up to 7 cm long. Flowers solitary or in cymes; peduncle up to 5 cm long; pedicel to 1 cm long. Sepals 5, subequal, 1.5-2.2 x 0.2-0.4 cm, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, densely long-hirsute without. Corolla blue, throat white, 3-5 cm long, 4-5 cm across, funnel-form. Filaments to 2.5 cm long. Capsule 8-12 mm long, subglobose, surrounded by the sepals.