GENERAL:

This little morning glory is listed as a Federal Endangered Species. It is endemic to Florida scrub land; requiring well drained, sandy soil. The species name, patens, means ‘spreading.’ Its habit of growth is in patches on the ground as it does not twine like other morning glories.

FLOWERS / FRUIT:

Usually solitary, the fragile white flowers are about 2.5 cm. (1 in.) across with a funnel-shaped corolla. One gets the impression of small pieces of white tissue paper dropped on the ground. An identifying characteristic of this subspecies is hairy sepals. Like other Convolvulaceae, the flower closes in the hot sun, but will remain open on overcast days.

The fruit is a capsule.

LEAVES / STEMS:

The alternate leaves are arranged along the prostrate stems and are so narrow that they appear as grass blades. They are 5 to 8 cm. (2 to 3 in.) long.

DISTRIBUTION:

Endemic to Florida, this species may be found from North Carolina as far south as central Florida, then westward to southern Mississippi.