Goats foot morning glory

Perennial prostrate shrub with woody rootstock and slender trailing stems. Deciduous. This dune species provides a very important job in the form of stabilisation and is often the first plant to colonise new exposed areas. Ipomoea pes-caprae subsp. brasiliensis (pes-caprae is Latin for ‘foot of a goat’), is aptly named from the shape of its leaf, and is mainly found on seaward slopes sending long runners down to the toe of the dunes. Although native to Australia, salt tolerant seeds float and are well dispersed by the ocean leading to a large distribution world wide.The creeper provides an important stabilising function on foredunes and helps to prevent further erosion from prevailing winds. Aboriginal people utilised the leaves and roots as a food source and used a decoction of the flowers to treat box jelly fish stings.