Taxon:  Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.



Summary
Genus:
Ipomoea
Subgenus:
Eriospermum
Section:
Erpipomoea
Family:
Convolvulaceae
Tribe:
Ipomoeeae
Nomen number:
20138
Place of publication:
Fl. aegypt.-arab. 44.  1775
Verified:
09/02/1992 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
14 (6  active, 2  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Ipomoea reptans Poir.

Images (2 total. Click on image for more.)
Embryo drawing

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
  3. Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
  4. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  5. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  6. Austin, D. F. & Z. Huáman. 1996. A synopsis of Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) in the Americas. Taxon 45:5.
  7. Austin, D. F. 2007. Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica, Convolvulaceae): a food gone wild. Ethnobot. Res. Applic. 5:123-146.
  8. Backer, C. A. & R. C. Bakhuizen van den Brink, Jr. 1963-1968. Flora of Java.
  9. Beetle, A. A. 1970. Recommended plant names. Univ. Wyoming Agr. Exp. Sta. Res. J. 31
  10. Berhaut, J. 1971-. Flore illustrée du Senegal.
  11. Bhandari, M. M. 1978. Flora of the Indian desert.
  12. Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa.
  13. Campbell, F. T., ed. 1995. Report of National Coalition of Exotic Plant Pest Councils (unpublished draft)
  14. Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Florida state list aquatic & wetland noxious weeds - from Department of Environmental Protection (on-line resource).
  15. Cufodontis, G. 1953-1972. Enumeratio plantarum aethiopiae: Spermatophyta.
  16. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
  17. Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 1480.
  18. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  19. Fosberg, F. R. et al. 1979-1982. Geographical checklist of the Micronesian Dicotyledonae/ Pteridophyta and Gymnospermae.
  20. Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6 4:1860.
  21. Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
  22. Hara, H. 1966-1975. Flora of eastern Himalaya Note: v. 1:1966, v. 2:1971, v. 3:1975
  23. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  24. Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds
  25. Kartesz, J. T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland.
  26. Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
  27. Lejoly, J. & S. Lisowski. 1992. Les genres Merremia et Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) dans la flore d'Afrique Centrale (Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi). Fragm. Florist. Geobot. 37:110.
  28. Li, H. L. et al., eds. 1975-1979. Flora of Taiwan.
  29. Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
  30. Matthew, K. M. 1983. The flora of the Tamilnadu Carnatic.
  31. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  32. Merxmüller, H., ed. 1966-1972. Prodromus einer flora von Sudwestafrika.
  33. Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
  34. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  35. Plant Protection and Quarantine Office. United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Federal noxious weed list (on-line resource).
  36. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  37. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  38. Ross, J. 1972. The flora of Natal.
  39. Saldanha, C. J. & D. H. Nicolson. 1976. Flora of Hassan district.
  40. Siemonsma, J. S. & Kasem Piluek, eds. 1993. Vegetables. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 8:181-184.
  41. Smitinand, T. & K. Larsen, eds. 1970-. Flora of Thailand.
  42. Staples, G. W. 1996. pers. comm. Note: re. English common names
  43. Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
  44. Steward, A. N. 1958. Manual of vascular plants of the lower Yangtze valley.
  45. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
  46. USDA National Agricultural Library. National Invasive Species Information Center (on-line resource).
  47. Walker, E. 1976. Flora of Okinawa and the southern Ryukyu Islands.
  48. Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
  49. Westphal, E. & P. C. M. Jansen, eds. 1989. A selection. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) A:164.
  50. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
  51. Yunnan Inst. Bot. & Kunming Inst. Bot. Acad. Sci., eds. 1977-. Flora yunnanica.
  52. 2018. Mid-Atlantic invasive plant species (on-line resource)
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
EnglishChinese water-spinach  1Plant Protection and Quarantine Office. United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Federal noxious weed list (on-line resource).
Englishswamp morning-glory  1Beetle, A. A. 1970. Recommended plant names. Univ. Wyoming Agr. Exp. Sta. Res. J. 31
Englishwater-convolvulus  1Staples, G. W. 1996. pers. comm. Note: re. English common names
Englishwater-spinach  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Frenchliseron d'eau  2Siemonsma, J. S. & Kasem Piluek, eds. 1993. Vegetables. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 8:181-184.
Frenchpatate aquatique  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
GermanSumpfkohl  2Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 1480.
GermanWasserspinat  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Indonesiankangkong  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6 4:1860.
Japanese Rōmajiyō-sai  2Walker, E. 1976. Flora of Okinawa and the southern Ryukyu Islands.
Malaykangkung  2Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
Portuguesecancon  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanishespinaca acuática  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedishsallatsipomea  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transcribed Chineseweng cai  2Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Transcribed Thaiphak bung  2Smitinand, T. & K. Larsen, eds. 1970-. Flora of Thailand.
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaKenya  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania incl. Pemba, ZanzibarTurrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaUganda  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaChad   
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaEthiopia   
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSomalia   
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSudan   
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaAngola   
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMalawi   
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMozambique   
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZambia   
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZimbabwe   
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaBotswana   
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaNamibia   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGambia   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGhana   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGuinea   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaMali   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaMauritania   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaNigeria   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSenegal   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSierra Leone   
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaBurundi   
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCameroon   
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCentral African Republic   
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCongo   
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChina  Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentBangladesh   
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndia   
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentNepal  Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentPakistan  Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentSri Lanka  Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaCambodia   
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaLaos   
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaMyanmar   
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaThailand   
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaVietnam   
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaIndonesia  Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaMalaysia  Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaPhilippines  Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1NativeAsia-TropicalPapuasiaPapua New Guinea  Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaNorthern Territory Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaQueensland Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
1NativeAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaWestern Australia Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
2Cultivated    widely cult. in tropics 
4NaturalizedNorthern America United States   
4NaturalizedPacificNorth-Central PacificUnited StatesHawaii  
4NaturalizedPacificNorthwestern PacificMicronesia   
4NaturalizedPacificSouth-Central PacificFrench Polynesia   
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazil   
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanDominican Republic   
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanHaiti   
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanJamaica  Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaCosta Rica   
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaNicaragua   
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaPanama   
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaGuyana   
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaSuriname   
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaPeru   
Native
Africa
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Chad
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania (incl. Pemba, Zanzibar), Uganda
  • WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Burundi, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Congo
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ghana, Guinea, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana, Namibia
Asia-Temperate
  • CHINA: China
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan
  • PAPUASIA: Papua New Guinea
  • INDO-CHINA: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
  • MALESIA: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia [Queensland, Western Australia, Northern Territory]
Cultivated (widely cult. in tropics)
Naturalized
Northern America
  • REGION: United States
Pacific
  • NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]
  • NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC: Micronesia
  • SOUTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: French Polynesia
Southern America
  • CARIBBEAN: Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica
  • CENTRAL AMERICA: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama
  • NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Guyana, Suriname
  • BRAZIL: Brazil
  • WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Peru

Reference(s)
  1. Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
  2. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
  3. Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
  4. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  5. Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
  6. Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
  7. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
  8. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Animal foodfodder Siemonsma, J. S. & Kasem Piluek, eds. 1993. Vegetables. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 8:181-184.
Animal foodfodder Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Human foodvegetable Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Human foodvegetablewidely traded in SE AsiaBurkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa.
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Weedseed contaminantpotentialWeber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Weedseed contaminantpotentialCampbell, F. T., ed. 1995. Report of National Coalition of Exotic Plant Pest Councils (unpublished draft)
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=20138. Accessed 15 April 2026.