What are the characteristics of morning glory? A detailed explanation of its latest features
Morning glory is also known as trumpetcreeper, jinjiaolazi, large morning glory, qinniangzi, etc. It belongs to the Convolvulaceae family, Ipomoea genus, an annual twining herb, with slender trailing stems and trumpet-shaped corollas, and bright, beautiful flower colors. Besides being cultivated for ornament, its seeds are a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, with effects of purging water and promoting urination, expelling phlegm, and killing insects. Now let us take a look at what characteristics morning glory has!
The growing environment of morning glory
Morning glory is a flower with very strong vitality. Morning glory likes a mild climate, ample sunlight, and a humid, well-ventilated environment. Morning glory also has strong adaptability to soil, is relatively tolerant of drought and saline-alkali conditions, and is not afraid of high temperatures and intense summer heat. It is a deep-rooted plant, so when planted in the ground the soil should be deep. However, large morning glory seedlings do not tolerate transplanting, and friends who like morning glory must pay attention to this point.
The medicinal value of morning glory
The seeds of morning glory are a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine. The black ones are called “heichou” and the cream-colored ones are called “baichou”. They contain resin glycosides, pigments, fatty oils, organic acids and other components. Heichou is mostly used in medicine, and it has the effect of purging water and promoting urination. It mainly treats edema and abdominal distension, difficulty in urination and defecation, and other conditions. Grind it into a fine powder, add egg white, apply it to the affected area before going to sleep, wash it off with clean water the next morning, and use it continuously for one week; it has the effect of eliminating freckles. However, heichou is somewhat toxic, so never take it orally.
The flower color characteristics of morning glory
Morning glory often changes color. Purple morning glory sometimes turns blue, and sometimes turns red. The reason it changes color is that morning glory contains a pigment, and when this pigment encounters liquids of different natures, it shows different colors. Because the nature of the liquid inside the plant is affected by external conditions and often undergoes some changes, this also causes the color of morning glory to change accordingly.
⟦NL>The variety characteristics of morning glory
1. Lobedleaf morning glory: the leaves have three deep lobes; the flowers are medium-sized, with 1 to 3 flowers borne in the leaf axils, in translucent blue, rose red, or white.
2. Roundleaf morning glory: the leaves are broadly heart-shaped and entire; the flowers are small, in white, rose red, translucent blue and other colors.
3. Large-flowered morning glory: the leaves are large with long petioles and have three lobes, with the central lobe relatively large; the leaves easily develop irregular yellow-white patches. The flowers are borne 1 to 3 per leaf axil, the peduncle is shorter than the petiole, and the flowers are large, with a flower diameter reaching 10 cm or more. It is native to tropical Asia and Africa, and is cultivated most extensively in Japan, where it is called asagao, and many horticultural varieties have been bred, with diverse flower shapes and rich, varied flower colors, widely popular in many places.