Description

Ipomoea pes-caprae, the beach morning glory or Goat's foot, is a common tropical creeping vine belonging to the family of Convolvulaceae. It grows on the upper parts of beaches and endures salted air. It is one of the most common and most widely distributed salt tolerant plants and provides one of the best known examples of oceanic dispersal. Its seeds float and are unaffected by salt water. This species can be found on the sandy shores of the tropical Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Goat's foot is common on the sand dunes of Australia's upper north coast of New South Wales and can also be found along the entire Queensland coastline. The Goat's foot is a primary sand stabilizer being one of the first plants to colonise the dune. It grows on almost all parts of the dune but is usually found on the seaward slopes sending long runners down towards the toe of the dune. The sprawling runners spread out from the woody rootstock but the large 2-lobed leaves are sparse and a dense cover on the sand is rarely achieved except in protected situations. This plant grows in association with sand spinifex grass and is a useful sand binder thriving under conditions of sand blast and salt spray.