Distimake aegyptius (L.) A.R.Simões & Staples

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Tanji Bird Reserve, The Gambia

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Synonyms:	Batatas pentaphylla Choisy Convolvulus munitus Wall. Convolvulus vitifolius Burm. f. Ipomoea aegyptia L. Ipomoea pilosa Cav. Ipomoea sinaloensis Brandegee Merremia aegyptia (L.) Urb. Merremia pentaphylla Hallier f. Operculina aegyptia (L.) House Operculina pentaphylla House Spiranthera pentaphylla Bojer
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Twining herb. Stems slender, up to 6 m. high, covered with long yellow-brown hairs. Leaves palmately 5-foliolate; leaflets sessile, elliptic or elliptic-oblong, 2·5–9 cm long, appressed-hairy on both surfaces; margin entire; petiole slender, 2·5–11·5 cm long, as long as or longer than the lamina, hairy. Inflorescences few-several-flowered on a hairy peduncle up to 22 cm long; pedicels 10–25 mm. long, hairy. Sepals unequal, the 3 outer ovate-lanceolate, 14–25 mm long, densely hairy; the 2 inner slightly shorter, ovate, hairless. Corolla funnel-shaped, white, up to 3·5 cm long, hairless. Capsule globose, pale brown, hairless, 4-valved. Seeds hairless.
Type location:	Martinique
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	aegyptius: of Egypt
Habitat:	Open woodland, open thicket, grassland, near rivers and on riverbanks.
Altitude range: (metres)	Up to 610 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread throughout the tropics.
FZ divisions:	N,W
Growth form(s):	Climber, annual.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Friday 29 August 2025
Literature:	Gonçalves, M.L. (1987). Convolvulaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(1) Pages 38 - 39. as Merremia aegyptiaca (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 37. as Merremia aegyptiaca Mwanga Mwanga, I.J.-C., Sosef, M.S.M. & Simoes, A.R.G., (2022). Convolvulaceae Flore d'Afrique Centrale Nouvelle Serie Jardin Botanique Meise, Belgique Pages 95 - 97. (Includes a picture).

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