Jacquemontia tamnifolia

This wildflower has become invasive in the fields around our garden. But it is a very interesting plant.

Hairy clustervine is a common name for it. As I suspected, it is in the morning-glory family. Smallflower morningglory (yes, it is just two words here) is another common name. The genus is closely related to sweet potato and you can see the leaf shape is very similar.

Jacquemontia is named to commemorate the French traveler and naturalist, Victor Jacquemont (1801-1832). Jack-in-the-pulpit is also named for him. He traveled to North America and Haiti. When he was just twenty-seven, he left his home in Paris to explore plants and rocks in India and other lands in that part of the world. He died in Bombay of disease. Below is his portrait painted by Claude Monet.

As I said, it is an interesting flower and, like its namesake, it seems to wander all over everywhere.