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Ipomoea pes-caprae
Pantropical, trailing vine that routinely colonizes sand dunes. It grows just above the high tide line along coastal beaches, forming large mats that assist in stabilizing sands. Runners are succulent and have a milky colored sap. Branches may reach 10 m (approximately 33 feet) in length. Leaf petioles are 1.5 – 1.6 mm (approximately 0.06 inches) long, with leaf blades measuring approximately 3-14 cm (1.2 – 5.5 inches) in length, 2.5 – 12 cm (1 – 4.7 inches) in width. Foliage leaves are alternate, somewhat elliptical, and have shallow notches at their apexes. Taproots are long and deep, sometimes penetrating more than a meter into the substratum (Devall 1992). Flowers are generally axillary, 3 – 16 cm (1.2 – 5.5 inches) in diameter, and either angular or flattened. Corollas are 3 – 6 cm (1.2 – 2.4 inches) in length and funnel-shaped. Color ranges from pink to red-purple or violet. Color tends to be darker at the inside base of each flower (Devall 1992).
Loblolly Bay, Anegada, BVI.
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