corymbosa

Corymbosa is a Latin adjective used in botanical nomenclature to indicate a corymb-like inflorescence, a type in which flowers are borne on short stalks at about the same level and open from the outside toward the center. As a species epithet, corymbosa appears in the scientific names of several plant taxa across different genera, signaling this floral arrangement rather than a single taxon.

The best-known example is Ipomoea corymbosa, the morning glory species commonly called ololiuqui, native to Mexico and Central America. Ipomoea corymbosa is a climbing or sprawling annual with slender stems and funnel-shaped flowers that are often pale lavender or white, arranged in corymbose clusters. The plant has historical significance in Pre-Columbian and traditional contexts where certain communities used its seeds in ritual practices.

Chemically, the seeds contain ergoline alkaloids, notably lysergic acid amide (LSA). In contemporary contexts, ingestion of these seeds can produce psychedelic effects as well as adverse reactions, and LSA-containing seeds are subject to legal restrictions in several countries.

In taxonomy, the epithet corymbosa occurs in other plant names as well, reflecting a similar floral arrangement, though Ipomoea corymbosa remains the most cited example for discussions of ethnobotany and plant morphology. The term itself is descriptive and not a universal identifier for a single taxon.