Railroad Vine (SPC Florida Plants )

Railroad Vine

Ipomoea pes-caprae

Summary ³

Railroad vine is a pantropical, trailing vine that grows just above the high tide line along coastal beaches, forming large mats that assist in stabilizing sands. Its common name can be attributed to its ability to send out “tracks” of stolons. Stolons are like stems except they produce adventitious roots at the nodes and run horizontally rather than vertically. This groundcover usually grows to a height no more than 16 inches tall, and its branches may reach approximately 33 feet in length. The leaf is simple, alternately arranged, dark green, smooth and leathery. The 2.5 to 4-inch leaf blades are on petioles that can reach 6 inches in length. Leaf blades are two lobed and have a clef apex, making them resemble a goat’s footprint. Stems are fleshy and both leaves and stems exude a watery white sap. The sap from the succulent leaves has been used as a first-aid to treat jelly fish stings. The flower is funnel-shaped, magenta with darker center, and has five sympetalous (fused together) petals. The flowers open late in the evening and appear their best early in the morning. When opened, they expose a purple star pattern throughout the center of the corolla. The fruit is a round, dehiscent (split when mature) capsule that opens to reveal four velvety, dark brown seeds, called sea beans, or drift seeds.

Sources and Credits

More Info

Range Map

iNat Map

Ecosystem	Coastal uplands
Flowers	Pink, Purple
Leaf arrangement	Alternate
Leaf shape	Elliptic
Leaf type	Simple

‹ › ×