The other day on a bird-watching trip I came across a few Bush Morning Glory plants. As we passed by one such bush, the insects caught my eye. A few months ago I had been thrilled to find out that it was the host plant of tortoise beetles but here was biodiversity! There were several caterpillars feeding on the leaves, blue damselflies (the ones I had never photographed before) were hovering on the plant, iridescent green polka-dotted beetles were on the underside of the leaves and I also noticed a green spider. If I had stayed there longer I might have seen more but then I saw an eagle....
Bush Morning Glory/Ipomoea carnea grows on the edge of rice fields and other low-lying areas. They grow to a height of 1.5 m. Throughout spring and summer they bloom in clusters of pink.The flowers close as the sun grows stronger just like other kinds of morning glory blooms. A native of tropical America it is widely naturalized. Its Hindi name is besharam meaning shameless due to its invasive quality. Over the years the branches spread and form a tangled mass. Then it becomes a resting/hiding place for bigger creatures such as the python (below). I took this photo at the Pobitara Wildlife Sanctuary last year where the guards showed it to me and to other park visitors. I had always meant to use this photo about how the plant's branches can be a perfect cover for animals and I'm happy to be able to include it in my post.
I am joining Michelle of Rambling Woods for her meme Nature Notes. Click on the link and see other participants' posts. It's always interesting to see what's going on around us.
