Ipomoea lobata, the fire vine, firecracker vine or Spanish flag[1] (formerly Mina lobata), is a species of flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae, native to Mexico and Brazil.[2]
| Ipomoea lobata | |
|---|---|
| |
| I. lobata, Dresden Botanical Garden | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Solanales |
| Family: | Convolvulaceae |
| Genus: | Ipomoea |
| Species: | I. lobata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ipomoea lobata (Cerv.) Thell.
| |
| Synonyms | |
Growing to 5 m (16 ft) tall, Ipomoea lobata is a perennial climber often cultivated in temperate regions as an annual. It has toothed and lobed leaves (hence lobata) and one-sided racemes of flowers, opening red and fading to yellow, cream and white. These colours are graded down the length of the flower spike. The effect is like a firework, hence one of its popular names "firecracker vine". The colours vaguely resemble the red and gold of Spain's national flag, hence its other common name "Spanish flag".
Ipomoea lobata requires a minimum temperature of 5 °C (41 °F), and a warm, sheltered spot in full sun (either equatorial-facing or west-facing). It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3][4]
It is closely related to two other popular, award-winning climbing plants, Ipomoea indica (blue dawn flower) and Ipomoea tricolor (morning glory).
The name "Spanish flag" is also used for Lantana camara, an ornamental shrub.[5]
References
edit- ^ Brickell, Christopher, ed. (2008). The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 570. ISBN 9781405332965.
- ^ Val Bourne (29 October 2010). "How to grow Ipomoea lobata". The Telegraph. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
- ^ "RHS Plantfinder - Ipomoea lobata". Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 53. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ^ Lantana camara: descubre una flor irresistible para tu jardín (in Spanish)
- Pink, A. (2004). Gardening for the Million. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.
External links
edit
Media related to Ipomoea lobata at Wikimedia Commons
- (in French) Ipomoea versicolor Archived 2009-02-16 at the Wayback Machine photos
- (in Portuguese) Flora Brasiliensis: Ipomoea versicolor
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