General Information

COMMON NAMES: Peltate Morning-glory TRADITIONAL NAMES: Kūrima (AT) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Indian Ocean - Malesia - Societies COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Land, lowlands - mountains (++++) SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; Invasive - serious (esp. on Rarotonga), Weed - moderate (esp. on Atiu) KEY FEATURES: Scrambling and high-climbing woody vine. LEAVES alternate, round, massive to 30x30cm, base indented, glossy, dark green; stalk in from edge (=peltate); radiating veins conspicuous; stalk to 20cm. FLOWER mainly terminal clusters, nocturnal; funnel-like, 5x5cmLxØ, white (sometimes yellowish), discarded next day. FRUIT a capsule, 2cmØ.

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+++	-	++++	-	++?	++	-	-	-

Northern Group: -
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Merremia peltata Linnaeus
SYNONYMS: Merremia nymphaeifolia [incl. GW]; Ipomoea peltata; Operculina peltata; Convolvulus peltata

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ASTERIDAE; Solanales; CONVOLVULACEAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Invasive - serious (esp. on Rarotonga), Weed - moderate (esp. on Atiu). Comments: A major high-climbing vine in the lowland inland of Rarotonga. It is likely to become increasingly widespread and its great weight is mechanically destructive of other plants. In waste and fallow areas it is locally very abundant, difficult to remove and difficult to control.

Vouchers:
Aitutaki: Jim and Tim 3/2002, 2-3 places, aggressive, been on island about 5 years.

References:
p.5/049 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.288 I Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.91 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.416 Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands
p.88 McCormack/Kunzle - Rarotonga's Mountain Tracks and Plants

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02, zupD05b

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