Photo by Linda Lee If you put something down on the ground in June, you better mark it carefully, or by August it might be covered up by this vine.

It's not kudzu, of course. It's not a "true" morning glory (that is, members of the genus Ipomoea), but it is related. The flowers and leaves are very similar. A number of technical features will easily separate this plant from the morning glories. The easiest way to identify our Mystery Plant is by looking at the base of the flower. It has two prominent, green bracts there, whereas true morning glories lack them.

This species is extremely variable. Its stems and foliage are most often smooth but may otherwise be a bit hairy. Its leaves tend to be triangular or even arrow-head shaped. It typically produces one flower at a time along the stem, above a given leaf (in the leaf's axil). The petals are fused into a funnel-shaped corolla (as in most true morning glories) which tends to be white or sometimes bright pink. There are five stamens and a single, central style, topped off by a pair of slightly flattened, stumpy stigmas. Late in the summer, ripening capsules will contain several seeds, eventually breaking open and spilling the contents.

Photo by Sanders McMillan This is a common, native species all over the United States, southern Canada, and Europe. Most people consider it a pest as it grows quite vigorously and just about anywhere. Because of this, most gardeners try to get rid of it, although it is in fact sometimes grown as an ornament. They do have nice flowers, and if you need an old shed covered up, this might work. The plants tend to be perennials, and they come up from large underground parts, so if you are trying to get rid of a patch, you may need a shovel.

This plant is a good example of a twining vine, sprawling and crawling through brush and other weeds. The vines are real scramblers, and they do this without tendrils or aerial roots. Twiners such as this one and honeysuckle, wisteria, and yellow Jessamine twine either to the right (counterclockwise, when viewed from above) or to the left (clockwise).

Answer to last week's mystery plant

Ragged fringed-orchid

Platanthera lacera

Dr. John Nelson is the curator of the USC Herbarium.

To learn more about the Herbarium, call him at

777-8196. His department also offers free plant identification.

www.herbarium.org