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Railroad vine
Ipomoea pes-caprae
I discovered this railroad vine growing along the side of the road, but
I most often see it growing on beach dunes.
As you might guess – railroad vine is heat, salt, and drought tolerant. An early pioneer plant, the vine sends out
thick, flexible runners with roots at each node that stabilize shifting dune
sands. The runner I sketched was easily
the diameter of my little finger. These runners are the source of the common
name of railroad vine; the “railroad tracks” can cover quite a distance as
shown in this video.
Railroad vine is a member of the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae),
which includes a culinary favorite, the sweet potato. The vine bears the typical trumpet-shaped
bloom of morning glory, in shades of lavender, violet, magenta, and pink. In the bright sunlight, the colors seem to
glow. The blooms are held erect on a prostrate
vine, and are a food source for bees and butterflies.
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| The blooms are more vivid than my tools can show! |
The flowers open in the morning, fading in the heat of the day. The fertilized blooms produce seed pods
containing four brown seeds. Although the
seeds are poisonous, they’ve been used historically for medicinal purposes.
The leathery leaves grow up to 4 inches long, the two-lobed kidney-shape
suggesting a split goat’s hoof (Latin pes-caprae,
foot of the goat). Long petioles (leaf stems)
support the upright leaves, often folded along the midrib.
The sap is used as a natural first aid treatment for jellyfish and insect stings, and the family in general has many beneficial properties.
The sap is used as a natural first aid treatment for jellyfish and insect stings, and the family in general has many beneficial properties.
Media:
The Sketchbook Project sketchbook,
Pitt Artist pen in black, size XS for the sketch, and S for
the text
Kimberly watercolor pencils, Derwent Inktense,
Niji Aquabrush, medium size.
For further reading:
I think you've just identified the vine growing in our yard... If it's not this, then it must be related. We had to clear some of it out as it was growing up into my young crepe myrtle. I hated to do it, as the flowers are so pretty.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to try and give my inktense pencils another chance. I've tried using them and haven't been too happy with the results. It's probably my application :-(
ReplyDeleteThese pages are wonderful with the botanical illustrations.
Hi Kathy - glad to know I could draw this well enough to identify your mystery plant! The flowers are beautiful, but I can see where those runners could create gardening problems. One needs space for this vine!
ReplyDeleteI have trouble with pruning and weeding myself...often find myself silently apologizing before ripping something out by the roots. :( It has to be done, though, I can't imagine the jungle I'd live in if things kept going.
Thanks for stopping by. :)
Don't give up Susan! It took me the longest time to use my water soluble pencils well. Part of my problem was knowing my media - are they pencils? Paint? I took Cathy Johnson's online class which unraveled the mystery: they're both! I just needed to learn them in a new way.
ReplyDeleteI layer color with the Kimberley pencils, wash with a light brush, and when dry, layer more when needed. Inktense pencils are great for deepening color and those dark places that other brands can't seem to do. I learned to be sparing with them, as the color does NOT lift as other brands will.
Thank you for your kind words -- I love plants and love drawing and learning about them!