Facts about Moonflower

Sylvia

3 years ago

Ipomoea Alba, sometimes called the tropical white morning-glory or moonflower or moon vine, is a species of night-blooming morning glory belonging to Convolvulaceae (Morning-glory family). Though previously classified as genus Calonyction, species aculeatum, it is now properly assigned to genus Ipomoea, subgenus Quamoclit and section Calonyction. The plant is native to tropical and subtropical regions of North America (i.e. south-eastern USA and Mexico), Central America (i.e. Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama), the Caribbean (i.e. Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti) and South America (i.e. French Guiana, Guyana, Surinam, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia and Argentina). Apart from moonflower it is also known as evening glory, giant moonflower, moonflower vine, tropical white morning glory, white morning glory, moon flower, moon vine, white-flowered morning glory, Good night flower and prickly Ipomoea.

Genus name comes from the Greek words ips meaning “worm” and homoios meaning “resembling”, in possible reference to the sprawling underground roots of plants in this genus. On the other hand, some experts suggest the genus name is in reference to the worm-like twining plant habit. Specific epithet Alba refers to the white color of the flowers. It derives from the Latin word album for a writing tablet now used to mean white in reference to the tablets historically being white. The common names of Moonflower or Lady-of-the-night referring to the flowers habit of opening at night, it attracts night pollinating moths to the fragrant flowers and their being round in shape like a full moon. The plant is occasionally harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is often grown as an ornamental, where it quickly can provide a temporary screen or barrier.

Moonflower Facts

Moonflower Quick Facts
Name:	Moonflower
Scientific Name:	Ipomoea alba
Origin	Tropical and subtropical regions of North America, Central America , the Caribbean and South America
Colors	Initially green turning to dark brown or blackish in color as they mature
Shapes	Fleshy capsule, measuring 2 -3 cm long with a pointed tip
Health benefits	Beneficial for treating snakebite, filariasis, constipation, boils, wounds, headache and helps in losing weight

Name	Moonflower
Scientific Name	Ipomoea alba
Native	Tropical and subtropical regions of North America (i.e. south-eastern USA and Mexico), Central America (i.e. Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama), the Caribbean (i.e. Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti) and South America (i.e. French Guiana, Guyana, Surinam, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia and Argentina)
Common Names	Evening glory; giant moonflower; moonflower vine; tropical white morning glory; white morning glory, moon flower, moon vine, white-flowered morning glory, Good night flower, Prickly Ipomoea, Tropical white morning glory
Name in Other Languages	Afrikaans: Maanblom Albanian: Moonflower Amharic: Inijorī (እንጆሪ) Arabic: Zahrat alqamar (زهرة القمر), ‘athman ‘abyad (أثمان أبيض) Armenian: Lusnayin tsaghik (լուսնային ծաղիկ) Assamese: Dudh kolmou Azerbaijani: Ay çiçəyi Bahamas: Moon vine Brazil: Batatarana, boa-noite, bona-nox, cipó-café, dama-da-noite, flor-da-noite, Jetirana-Branca Bengali: Cām̐da phula (চাঁদ ফুল) Bulgarian: Lunno tsvete (лунно цвете) Burmese: Lamainn (လမင်း), Kran-Hing Chamorro: Alaihai-tasi Chinese: Yuè huā (月花), yue guang hua, Tiān jiā er (天茄兒), Yuck Kuang Hua Costa Rica: Buenas noches, dama de noche, flor de la luna Croatian: Mjesečev Cvijet Cuba: Bejuco de la y, flor de la y, flor de la y blanca Czech: Měšíční květina Danish: Moonflower Dominican Republic: Estrella vespertina Dutch: Maanbloem El Salvador: Campanilla blanca, flor de luna, pitoreta English: Moonflower, Tropical white morning-glory, Lilac Bell, White Moonflower, White morning glory, moonvine, morning glory, white-flowered morning glory, Koali-pehu Esperanto: Lunfluo, Blanka ipomeo Estonian: Kuuselill, Kuu-lehtertapp Fijian: Wa ia Filipino: Bulbol Finnish: Kuu kukka French: Fleur de lune, liane bla Georgian: Mtvare (მთვარე) German: Mondblume, Mondblüte, Weiße Prunkwinde, Gute-Nachtblume, stachelige Mondwinde Greek: Nychtoloúloudo (νυχτολούλουδο) Guatemala: Hapolin, luna blanca Gujarati: Mūnaphlāvara (મૂનફ્લાવર) Hausa: Barna Hawaiian: Koali pehu Hebrew: פרח ירח Hindi: Chandr pushp (चंद्र पुष्प), Moonflower Vine, Dudhia kalmi, Naganamukkorai, Evening Glory, Dudhiakalmi (दूधियाकलमी) Honduras: Pañal de niño tripa de gallina Hungarian: Holdvirág Icelandic: Tunglblóm India: Alanga, alangai Indonesian: Bunga bulan, Terulak Irish: Lus na gealaí Italian: Fiore di Luna, fior di note, ipomea spinosa Jamaica: Iight ipomoea, moonflower Japanese: Mūnfurawā (ムーンフラワー), yakai-sōu (ヤカイソウ), yoru-gao (ヨルガオ), yakai-sō, yûgao (ユウガオ) Javanese: Kembang bulan Kannada: Mūn phlavar (ಮೂನ್ ಫ್ಲವರ್), Moon Vine, Candra Pushpa, Chandra pushpa (ಚಂದ್ರಪುಷ್ಪ), Chandrakaanti (ಚಂದ್ರಕಾಂತಿ), Gul chandani (ಗುಲ್ ಚಾಂದನಿ) Kazakh: Ay güli (ай гүлі) Korean: Mun peullawo (문 플라워), bam me kkocc (밤메꽃) Kurdish: Heyv Lao: Dok tauaen (ດອກຕາເວັນ) Latin: Moonflower Latvian: Mēnesspuķe Lesser Antilles: Belle de nuit, fleur de nuit, liane blanche bord de mer Lithuanian: Mėnulio gelė Macedonian: Mesečina (месечина) Malagasy: Moonflower Malay: Bunga bulan Malayalam: Mūṇphlavar (മൂൺഫ്ലവർ), Chandrakanthi, Mandavalli, ipēāmēāya ālba (ഇപോമോയ ആൽബ) Maltese: Fjura tal-qamar Marathi: Chandr phul (चंद्र फुल), Gulchandi (गुलचांदी) Mexico: Nicua, oracion Mongolian: Sarny tsetse (сарны цэцэг) Nepali: Mūnaphlāvara (मूनफ्लावर) Norwegian: Måne blomst Oriya: ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର ଫୁଲ Pashto: سپوږمۍ Persian: گل آفتاب Polish: Kwiat księżycowy Portuguese: Flor da Lua, Batata-brava, Batatarana, Boa-noite, Bona-nox, Cipó-café, Dama-da-noite, Flor-da-noite Puerto Rico: Bejuco de vaca, claro de luna, gloria de la mañana blanca Punjabi: Cana phula (ਚੰਨ ਫੁੱਲ) Romanian: Floarea lunii Russian: Lunnyy tsvetok (лунный цветок), ipomeya belaya (ипомея белая), lunotsvet melkoshipovatyy (луноцвет мелкошиповатый) Serbian: Moonflover (моонфловер) Sindhi: چنڊڀرو Sinhala: San̆da mal(සඳ මල්-) Slovenian: Mesečnica Spanish: Bejuco de Tabaco, camotillo, flor de luna, oracion, bejuco de color blanco, bejuco de vaca, flor de la luna, gloria de la mañana, corneta, Quiebra-cajete Sudanese: Kembang bulan Swedish: Månblomma, Månvinda Tajik: Mokhona (мохона) Tamil: Nilavoḷi (நிலவொளி), Naganamukkorai Telugu: Moonflower (mo͞onˌflou(ə)r), Naagaramukkatte Thai: Dxk chm cạnthr̒ (ดอกชมจันทร์), Chm cạnthr̒ (ชมจันทร์) Turkish: Ay çiçeği Ukrainian: Misyatsya (місяця) Upper Sorbian: Běła wijawka Urdu: چاند پھول Uzbek: Oy gullari Vietnamese: Hoa trăng, Bìm trắng hay tịch nhan Welsh: Blodyn y lleuad Zulu: I-sunflower
Plant Growth Habit	Short-lived, fast-growing, old-fashioned, annual or perennial herbaceous liana
Growing Climates	Watercourses, riparian areas, moist forests, wet forests, urban bush land and disturbed areas (e.g. in parks, along roadsides, and along railway lines) in the sub-tropical and tropical regions
Soil	Grow in moist habitats on sandy and loamy well-drained soil
Plant Size	5–30 m tall with twining stems
Stem	Stems are hairless (i.e. glabrous), but the aerial climbing stems sometimes have numerous small projections
Leaf	Relatively large leaves are alternately arranged along the stems. They are 5-20 cm long and 4-20 cm wide. They are borne on 5-18 cm long stalks
Flowering season	July to August
Flower	Large trumpet-shaped flowers have a very long and narrow greenish-white floral tube that is 7- 15 cm long and five large white spreading lobes (10-15 cm wide). They are borne in several-flowered clusters, or occasionally singly, in the leaf forks
Fruit Shape & Size	Fleshy capsule, measuring 2 -3 cm long with a pointed tip
Fruit Color	Initially green turning to dark brown or blackish in color as they mature
Seed	Seeds 8-10 mm long, dark brown
Propagation	By Seed and adventitious roots
Plant Parts Used	Leaves, root, bark
Precautions	Ingesting juice from the plant, eating its seeds or drinking tea made from Moonflower leaves poisons the human body and can have potent and severe effects. Moonflower may cause nausea or vomiting in some individuals. Urinary retention, or the inability to urinate, occurs in some people under the influence of Moonflower. Decreased gastrointestinal mobility also occurs, which prevents the body from expelling chemicals of the plant, causing effects of Moonflower to last for a longer period of time.

Plant Description

Moonflower is a short-lived, fast-growing, old-fashioned, annual or perennial herbaceous liana that normally grows about 5–30 m tall with twining stems. The plant is found growing in watercourses, riparian areas, moist forests, wet forests, urban bush land and disturbed areas (e.g. in parks, along roadsides, and along railway lines) in the sub-tropical and tropical regions. It grows in moist habitats on sandy and loamy well-drained soil. Its stems are hairless (i.e. glabrous), but the aerial climbing stems sometimes have numerous small projections.

Leaves

Its relatively large leaves are alternately arranged along the stems. They are 5-20 cm long and 4-20 cm wide. They are borne on 5-18 cm long stalks (i.e. petioles) and are slightly thick or occasionally even slightly fleshy in nature. These leaves are usually strongly heart-shaped (i.e. cordate) with pointed tips (i.e. acute apices), but can sometimes be slightly lobed.

Flowers

The large trumpet-shaped flowers have a very long and narrow greenish-white floral tube that is 7- 15 cm long and five large white spreading lobes (10-15 cm wide). They are borne in several-flowered clusters, or occasionally singly, in the leaf forks. These flowers open at night, hence the common name “moonflower”, and usually wither by early the next morning. They have five small sepals that are 5-20 mm long with pointed tips and are borne on 7-15 mm long stalks. Each flower has five whitish-coloured stamens and a style that are exerted from the end of the floral tube. The flowers also tend to remain open longer during cool temperatures – which may also cause the segments to snag or tear as they open. Flowering occurs during summer and autumn.

Fruit

Fertile flowers are followed by a small capsule that is 2-3 cm long with a pointed tip. As the fruit matures the flower stalk becomes enlarged, and when fully mature the fruit turns from green to dark brown or blackish in color. It then splits open to release four large, hairless, whitish-coloured seeds that are about 10 mm long.

The Mesoamerican civilizations used the Ipomoea Alba morning glory to convert the latex from the Castilla elastica tree to produce bouncing rubber balls. The sulfur in this morning glory served to cross-link the rubber, a process predating Charles Goodyear’s discovery of vulcanization by at least 3,000 years. Moon Vine is native to American tropics, but has naturalized in many places where it was introduced.

Mature-fruits-of-Moonflower

Immature-fruit-of-Moonflower

Closer-view-of-flower-of-Moonflower

Flowers-of-Moonflower

Flowering-buds-of-Moonflower

Moonflower-plant

Plant-Illustration-of-Moonflower

Leaf-of-Moonflower

Sketch-of-Moonflower

Seeds-of-Moonflower

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Small-Moonflower-plant

Moonflower Image Gallery

Traditional uses and benefits of Moonflower

The whole herb is used in treating snakebite.
Root bark is purgative and leaves used in filariasis.
Leaves are used as vegetables and also used to cure various diseases in Anjangaon region Dist. Amravati.
This species of Ipomoea is also known to cure constipation, boils, and wounds.
In Cameroonian tradition, Ipomoea Alba is used as an anti-diabetic agent, laxative and also improves breast milk quality and helps in losing weight.
Arial parts are used as anti-pyretic, hypotensive and emollient.
Leaves used to treat headache.
Root bark is used as a purgative.

Culinary Uses

Young leaves and fleshy calyces are consumed after being cooked.
It is also steamed and eaten as a vegetable or used in curries, soups, stews etc.
They can also be dried for later use.
Seed can be eaten when young.
Fresh leaves of Ipomoea Alba are used as vegetables and also medicines.

Other facts

Ipomoea Alba has been widely commercialized as an ornamental plant for its showy white flowers.
In the Caribbean and South America, this species is used as a laxative, fever reducer, as a soap substitute and as food for pigs
Mesoamerican peoples used the moonflower to convert latex from the Castilla elastica tree to produce bouncing rubber balls.
In some areas, it is considered an invasive species, and can cause problems in agricultural settings.

Side effects of Moonflower

Listed below is some of the common side effect of using Moonflower

Nervous System Effects

Moonflower consists of several compounds poisonous to the human body, including atropine and scopolamine, which both interfere with the nervous system. The CDC reports that a person who has ingested Moonflower may experience hallucinations, anxiety, confusion and, in some cases, coma. Nervous-system effects generally take place within 1 hour of Moonflower ingestion and may last 24 to 48 hours, according to the CDC.

Hallucinations

Hallucinations from Moonflower may be either visual or auditory. A November 2006 report in “USA Today” titled “Jimson Weed Users Chase High all the Way to Hospital” reports that some people have severe hallucinations and become a threat to themselves or others.

Hyperthermia

Hyperthermia, or high body temperature, may also occur from Moonflower ingestion, as the plant interferes with the body’s ability to cool itself. A person may also experience flushing of the skin and skin that is dry and hot to the touch.

Cardiovascular Effects

Moonflower increases pulse rate and raises blood pressure. The chemical atropine, consists of in Moonflower, may cause cardiac arrhythmia, or an abnormal heart rhythm, which may lead to cardiac arrest, according to a 2002 article in “The Permanente Journal” titled “Jimson Weed Poisoning—A Case Report.”

Prevention and Control

Due to the variable regulations around (de)registration of pesticides, your national list of registered pesticides or relevant authority should be consulted to determine which products are legally allowed for use in your country when considering chemical control. Pesticides should always be used in a lawful manner, consistent with the product’s label.

Physical/Mechanical Control

Seedlings are weak and easy to pull or hoe. Small infestations can be cut near the base of the plant and the roots dug out by hand. For larger infestations with many stems, cutting and subsequent applications of herbicides are required.

Chemical Control

The herbicides 2, 4-D, atrazine, diquat, diuron, glyphosate, oxyfluorfen, pronamide and simazine are recommended for annual morning glory species. For large infestations, the stems can be cut higher up (breast height) causing the upper growth to die. Then the basal stems can be cut closer to the ground, followed by an undiluted (or up to 1: 3 dilution) dose of an herbicide onto the stems.

References:

https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=30760#null

http://www.hear.org/pier/species/ipomoea_alba.htm

https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=20135

https://pfaf.org/USER/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ipomoea+alba

https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/119823

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c801

https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=IPAL

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipomoea_alba

http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/tro-8500717

https://indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/230039

http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Moon%20Vine.html