Like the sweet potato, it belongs to the genus Ipomoea.

Its origins are uncertain, but it has been recorded in West Africa, including in Gambia[1] and the riparian forests of Benin,[2] as well as Australia's Northern Territory.

It is naturalised in many parts of the world, including Taiwan.

[3] Specimens have been collected or observations taken in Australia, Belize, Benin, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, China, Colombia, DRC, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Honduras, Indonesia, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Micronesia, Federated States of Myanmar, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo and Venezuela.

[4] Media related to Ipomoea mauritiana at Wikimedia Commons*Ipomoea mauritiana, gardentia.net