Nan sha shu teng vs Saltmarsh Morning Glory

Ipomoea littoralis compared with Ipomoea sagittata

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Nan sha shu teng	Saltmarsh Morning Glory
Kingdom same	Plantae (植物)	Plantae (植物)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (木兰植物门)	Magnoliophyta (木兰植物门)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (木兰纲)	Magnoliopsida (木兰纲)
Order same	Solanales (茄目)	Solanales (茄目)
Family same	Convolvulaceae	Convolvulaceae
Genus same	Ipomoea	Ipomoea
Species	Ipomoea littoralis	Ipomoea sagittata

Evolutionary Relationship

Nan sha shu teng and Saltmarsh Morning Glory share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Ipomoea.

Conservation Status

Nan sha shu teng

LC — Least Concern

Saltmarsh Morning Glory

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Nan sha shu teng	Saltmarsh Morning Glory
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Nan sha shu teng

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Oceanian biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Taiwan and Tonga.

Saltmarsh Morning Glory

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across France, Portugal, and Spain.

Nan sha shu teng

Ipomoea littoralis, the coastal morning glory, is a trailing or climbing herbaceous vine in the family Convolvulaceae native to tropical coastal habitats of the Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan, Tonga, and other Pacific island groups. The species grows on sandy beaches, coastal foredunes, and rocky coastal margins exposed to salt spray and tropical sun, where it often forms extensive mats stabilizing loose substrate with its sprawling stems and deeply penetrating roots. Like other beach-dwelling Ipomoea species, it is adapted to intense sun, salt tolerance, and intermittent drought, producing large, waxy, dark green leaves that resist desiccation and salt accumulation. The funnel-shaped flowers, typical of the morning glory family, are pink to lavender in color and are pollinated by bees, butterflies, and other insects. Seeds are enclosed in hard, water-resistant capsules adapted for dispersal by ocean currents across island chains. The species is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Beach morning glories play an important stabilizing role in coastal dune ecosystems across the Pacific, binding loose sand with their runners and root systems and contributing to the early colonization of bare beach sand that eventually allows succession to more complex coastal vegetation.