Diversity: Herbs, mostly
twining without tendrils, some shrubs, and rarely trees in about 50 genera
and 1,500 species. Flowers quite showy, as indicated by the domesticated
morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea) and the root crop of Texas
and many other parts of the world, the sweet potato (I. batatas).
Distribution: Worldwide,
but with greatest diversity in the tropics. We have 11 genera and 58 species
in the Texas flora.
Floral structure:
Significant features: Classic
Asteridae in terms of general floral structure with actinomorphy and hypogyny
placing it in the genral area of the Solanales and the tendency toward
funnelform, plicate
corollas marking this family. Other contrasting characters (within
the Solanales context) include latex
production in many taxa, separate sepals that are often closely subtended
by bracts, and the bicarpellate gynoecium often contains a false
septum producing 4 locules that often carry fewer
ovules/seeds that other families of the order.
