Merremia quinquefolia (L.) Hallier f.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Hysteria Lane, Area 3, Lilongwe

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Synonyms:	Batatas quinquefolia (L.) Choisy Convolvulus quinquefolius L. Ipomoea quinquefolia L.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	?Introduced
Description:	Perennial twining herb. Stems slender, scandent, hairless or more or less hairy. Leaves palmate, 3–5-foliolate, hairless; leaflets sessile or almost so, lanceolate, up to 5·3 cm long, lateral leaflets shorter; margins serrate; petiole 0·5–3 cm long, hairless or setose. Inflorescences mostly l-2-flowered; peduncle up to 5·5 cm long, densely papillate-glandular towards the apex; pedicels 5–6 mm long, hairless or with a few glands near the base. Sepals unequal, hairless, oblong-ovate, the 2 outer smaller, 6–7 mm long, the inner 3·8–9·5 mm long. Corolla funnel-shaped, pale yellow, or whitish, 2 cm long, hairless. Capsule subglobose, straw-coloured.
Type location:	Tropical Africa
Notes:	This species appears not to have been recorded from Malawi before. Its occurrence in very disturbed urban habitat suggests it may be a recent introduction.
Derivation of specific name:	quinquefolia: with 5 leaves (leaflets).
Habitat:	Disturbed and cultivated ground and roadsides.
Altitude range: (metres)	1040 m (approx)
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Its origins appear uncertain. It is known from Tropical America but the type is said to be from Tropical Africa. It is also said to have been introduced in Tanzania, Mozambique and probably Malawi.
National distribution:	C
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Friday 9 November 2018
Literature:	Bandeira, S., Bolnick, D. & Barbosa, F. (2007). Wild Flowers of Southern Mozambique Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique Page 172. (Includes a picture). Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 49. Gonçalves, M.L. (1987). Convolvulaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(1) Page 39. Verdcourt, B. (1960). New Convolvulaceae from the Flora Zambesiaca Area Kirkia 1 Pages 29 - 30.

Other sources of information about Merremia quinquefolia:

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Flora of Mozambique: Merremia quinquefolia

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Merremia quinquefolia
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Merremia quinquefolia
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Merremia quinquefolia
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Merremia quinquefolia
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Merremia quinquefolia
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Merremia quinquefolia
JSTOR Plant Science: Merremia quinquefolia
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Merremia quinquefolia
Plants of the World Online: Merremia quinquefolia
Tropicos: Merremia quinquefolia
Wikipedia: Merremia quinquefolia