Cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit)

Ipomoea quamoclit, cypress vine or mayil manikkam, is a slender annual morning-glory with feathery, thread-like leaves and small, scarlet, star-shaped flowers. It comes from tropical America and is grown on fences and trellises across India, where it often seeds itself into hedges. It is pretty, easy and attractive to butterflies, and its seeds are not food.

Botanical name: Ipomoea quamoclit L.
Family: Convolvulaceae
Tamil: Mayil manikkam
Hindi: Kamalata
Parts used: Flowers (garden)
Habit: Star morning-glory; kalmi is I. aquatica
Last updated: 2026-10-25

How to recognise Cypress vine

It is a twining annual vine with leaves cut into very fine, comb-like threads, like the foliage of a cypress.

Flowers are trumpet-shaped with a slender tube and a flat, five-pointed star face, usually scarlet, sometimes white or pink.

The fruit is a small capsule holding four dark seeds.

Flowers open in the morning and close by afternoon, as in most morning-glories.

Water spinach, Ipomoea aquatica (kalmi), is a soft aquatic vine with arrow-shaped leaves and white or pale purple flowers, eaten as a vegetable.

Traditional use of Cypress vine

Gardening

In India it is a common fence and trellis climber in home gardens and around temples, prized for its fine foliage and bright flowers.

Indian garden practice

Modern notes on Cypress vine

Morning-glory seeds of several species contain ergoline alkaloids. Their content varies, so the seeds should not be eaten.

In the Americas hummingbirds pollinate the flowers. In India, butterflies and sunbirds visit them.

Cypress vine safety

Do not eat the seeds. Keep them away from children.

Ecology and sourcing

It is native to tropical America and naturalised widely across the tropics.

It self-seeds freely and can become weedy in gardens and field edges.

Being an annual, it dies back after seeding and returns from seed with the rains.

Related plants

Also in Convolvulaceae

Questions about Cypress vine

Is Cypress vine kalmi?

No. Kalmi is Ipomoea aquatica, an edible water vine.

What older names does Ipomoea quamoclit go by?

Quamoclit pennata.

Why cypress vine?

The feathery leaves look like cypress foliage.

How do I grow Cypress vine?

Sow seeds at the start of the rains beside a fence or string. It flowers within a couple of months.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.