Ipomoea purpurea, the common morning-glory,
Description
Like all morning glories, the plant entwines itself around structures, growing to a height of tall. The leaves are heart-shaped and the stems are covered with brown hairs. The
are trumpet-shaped, predominantly blue to purple or white, and in diameter.
Distribution and habitat
The plant is predisposed to moist and rich
soil, but can be found growing in a wide array of soil types.
[Richard H. Uva, Joseph C. Neal and Joseph M. Ditomaso, Weeds of The Northeast, (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997), Pp. 214-217.] It is naturalized throughout warm temperate and subtropical regions of the world. Although it is often considered a noxious weed,
I. purpurea is also grown for its attractive purple and white flowers, and has many
. Common cultivars include
I. purpurea 'Crimson Rambler' (red-violet blossoms with white throats), 'Grandpa Ott's', 'Kniola's Black Knight', 'Star of Yelta' (blossoms in varying shades of deep purple with white or pale pink throats), and 'Milky Way' (white corolla with mauve accents).
Chemistry
The triangular seeds have some history of use as a
psychedelic drug; they, like
Ipomoea tricolor, may contain
Ergine.
Effects are reported to be somewhat similar to those of
LSD.
[Charles Savage, Willis W. Harman and James Fadiman, Ipomoea purpurea: A Naturally Occurring Psychedelic]
Flower color
Acylated
cyanidin glycosides can be isolated from violet-blue flowers of
I. purpurea. These anthocyanins were all based on cyanidin 3-sophoroside-5-glucoside, acylated with caffeic acid and/or p-coumaric acid.
Acylated pelargonidin glycosides can be isolated from the red-purple flowers of I. purpurea. The acylated anthocyanins were all based on pelargonidin 3-sophoroside-5-glucoside, acylated with caffeic acid and/or glucosylcaffeic acid.
Toxic treatments
Commercial morning glory seeds are commonly treated with toxic
methylmercury, which serves as a preservative and a cumulative neurotoxic poison that is considered useful by some to discourage their recreational use. The US has no legal requirement to disclose to buyers that seeds have been treated with a toxic heavy metal compound.
According to the book
Substances of Abuse, in addition to methylmercury, the seeds are commonly coated with a chemical that cannot be removed with washing that is designed to cause unpleasant physical symptoms, such as nausea and abdominal pain. The book states that this chemical is also toxic.
==Gallery==
See also
External links
