whitestar
Ipomoea lacunosa L.
Whitestar is a morning glory with an unusually strong tendency to self-fertilize. Its flowers are typically small and white, although purple-flowered individuals also occur. Research on North Carolinian populations links the loss of purple floral pigment to changes in the regulation of an anthocyanin-producing pathway. Duncan and Rausher (2020): Selection favors loss of floral pigmentation in a highly selfing morning glory
Botanical name
Kew accepts Ipomoea lacunosa L. as a species in Convolvulaceae. Kew Plants of the World Online: Ipomoea lacunosa
Recognizing the plant
The annual vines twine through surrounding vegetation. Smooth stems carry nearly hairless, heart-shaped leaves tapering to narrow points. The flowers form funnels in the leaf axils and are commonly white to pinkish. Egg-shaped capsules remain partly enclosed by their sepals and produce four smooth, dark seeds, each around five millimetres across. Cornell University: Morningglories
Seasonal development
North Carolina and South Carolina, United States
In the Carolinas, plants germinate in late May and begin flowering in August or early September. Flowering ends during autumn, and the first hard frost kills the plants. Duncan and Rausher (2020): Selection favors loss of floral pigmentation in a highly selfing morning glory
Native range
Kew places the native range in the central and eastern United States, from the southern Midwest through the Southeast. Introduced populations occur elsewhere, including parts of Europe, eastern Asia and tropical America. Kew Plants of the World Online: Ipomoea lacunosa
Botanical sources
- Kew Plants of the World Online: Ipomoea lacunosa
- Cornell University: Morningglories
- Duncan and Rausher (2020): Selection favors loss of floral pigmentation in a highly selfing morning glory
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.