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Alamo Vine
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Alamo Vine
aturalized Photo: S. Kasim
Common name: Alamo Vine, Noyau Vine
Botanical name: Distimake dissectus    Family: Convolvulaceae (Morning glory family)
Synonyms: Merremia dissecta, Ipomoea dissecta, Convolvulus dissectus

Alamo vine is a white perennial morning glory that opens round about noon and then closes before sunset. It is a native of tropical America. It is a very efficient plant at reproducing itself, colonizing from rhizomes, runners and seed. It is a perennial, broad-leafed herbaceous climber with hairy, anti-clockwise twining stems, and can climb up to about 4 m high. The leaves are alternate, spiral, simple, with very hairy stalks 2-7 cm long. The leaf blade is usually 4-8 cm long and 6-12 cm wide, dissected, palmately lobed with 3-7 segments, each deeply 5-7 lobed. The flowers are predominantly white with some red or purple, and somewhat irregular. There are 5 free sepals. The flower tube is 3.5-4.5 cm long, with 5 petals joined into a funnel shape. There are also 5 stamens. The fruit is a dehiscent 5-valved capsule, globular, papery, smooth and non-fleshy, up to almost 2 cm long, and with a similar, usually slightly larger, width. It splits open to reveal a smaller seed container inside of a similar shape to the fruit itself, with a papery exterior. Inside this, separated by a stiffish wall, are two black seeds. Flowering: February, April to July, and September.

Identification credit: Shrikant Ingalhalikar Photographed in Tamil Nadu & Maharashtra.

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