Plant I D – update

(Question)

I took this picture in a nursery and the only ID I get is dalechampia aristolochiifolia which I’m not too sure about.
Can you please give me your opinion

(Answer)

This is an update to the response relating to the question you posted May 26, which you should have received by now.  In that response, we suggested that the plant looks to be in the Ipomoea family (morning glory).  My colleague further suggests that your photo might be of Argyreia nervosa (woolly morning glory), a perennial climbing vine native to India. However, the flowers of many varieties of that plant look much wider and more trumpet-like than those in your photo. Also, the undersides of the leaves are white with what looks like hairs (hence the name “woolly”) – See James Cook University’s Argyreia nervosa.  Don’t despair, though – there are over a thousand varieties of morning glory.  I’d suggest that you return to the nursery where you saw this lovely plant, or email them with a copy of the photo and ask them to identify the plant.

You also asked if the tentative identification you made is accurate. While the leaves of the plant in your photo resemble those of Dalechampia aristolochiifolia, which belongs to the Euphorbia family, the “flower” is very different.  Dalechampia has wrinkly “flowers” (which are actually not flowers but are bracts or modified leaves found just under the flower) that look like purple butterflies.  The edges of these bracts are serrated.  Here’s a photo of the plant from iNaturalist Canada, the plant is also called purple wings or Butterfly Climber.

We would appreciate hearing back from you if you are able to identify the plant!