Ipomoea imperati

Native to tropical and subtropical coasts, it is a creeping perennial vine of sandy beaches and dunes. Its smooth stems spread over or just beneath the sand and root at the nodes. Thick leaves vary in shape and may have notched tips or lobed margins. White funnel-shaped flowers have a yellowish throat, sometimes with a purple mark at its base. The plant helps stabilise sand and colonise disturbed dunes, and it is used in coastal restoration. Photographed in Costeno Beach, Colombia.