Blue Dawn Flower

Overview

The native distribution range of I. indica is unclear, as it appears to be Pan-tropical. It has been listed as probably native to the tropics of Central and South America, and possibly also native to southeastern Asia and some islands in the Pacific region. It can be found growing in cultivation and also naturalized in Europe, Asia, southern Africa, United States, New Zealand, Australia, and on several Pacific islands. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and the leaves as source of soap. It is widely cultivated for ornamental purposes, being particularly valued for its abundant flowering display. A mature plant can produce hundreds of fragile flowers each day and can leave a messy carpet below. The flowers are dark blue in the morning, turning to purple/magenta by noon and pink by the evening before curling up into a fuchsia-like shape and then falling to the ground in the next day or two.

Vernacular Names

Indische Prunkwinde (German), Ipomée d'Inde (French), Campanella perenne (Italian), Gloria de la mañana (Spanish), Gryningsvinda (Swedish), Wa sasala (Fiji), Quilamula (Guatemala). Bian se qian niu (Chinese), No-asagao (Japanese).

Agroecology

Ipomoea indica inhabits wetter tropical, subtropical and temperate regions of the world. It is particularly common in disturbed forests, forest edges, secondary woodland, suburban gullies, and along roadsides and waterways. It can also be found naturalized in seasonal freshwater wetlands, coastal sites, arable land, abandoned farms, and moist and rain forests at elevations ranging from near sea level to about 1,250 m. Prefers to grow on moist, well-drained, light or sandy loam soils with pH in the range 6.1-7.5. It grows best in areas with full sunlight and mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000-3,500 mm and annual temperatures ranging from 18 °C to 30 °C. It does not tolerate temperatures below 7 °C.

Morphology

• Stems - 3-6 m, sometimes rooting at nodes, young stems are softly hairy.
• Leaves - petiole 2-18 cm; leaf blade ovate or circular, 5-15 X 3.5-14 cm, abaxially densely short, soft, pubescent, adaxially ± sparsely pubescent, base cordate, margin entire or ± 3-lobed, apex acuminate or abruptly acuminate.
• Flower- inflorescences dense umbellate cymes, several flowered; peduncle 4-20 cm; bracts linear, sometimes lanceolate. Pedicel 2-5(-8) mm. Sepals subequal, 1.4-2.2 cm, gradually linear-acuminate apically, glabrous to appressed pilose; outer 3 lanceolate to broadly lanceolate; inner 2 narrowly lanceolate. Corolla bright blue or bluish purple, aging reddish purple or red, with a paler centre, funnelform, 5-8 cm, glabrous. Stamens included. Pistil included; ovary glabrous. Stigma 3-lobed.
• Fruit - capsule ± globose, 1-1.3 cm in diameter containing 4-6 seed.
• Seed -  dark brown or black coloured seeds, 5 mm.

Cultivation

• Generative propagation is by seed.
• Vegetative propagation is by stem cutting.

Chemical Constituents

Flavonoids, polyphenols, linoleic acid, oleic acid, tocopherol, phenolic.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• The roots, stems, and flower are used as laxative, hallucinogen, purgative, and for treating various diseases.
• The sap from the crushed leaves is drunk to relieve dysentery. 
• The sap from the crushed leaves is applied to on sores, these are then wrapped with the leaf.