Ipomoea alba (also known as moonflower, topical white morning-glory, and moonvine) is a species of night-blooming morning glory, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the “New World,” from northern Argentina north to Mexico, Florida and Puerto Rico. Before being reclassified in the genus Ipomoea, it was erroneously assigned to the genus Calonyction.

Mesoamerican peoples used the moonflower to convert latex from the Castilla elastica tree to produce bouncing rubber balls. The sulfur in the plant worked to cross-link the rubber. This process predated Charles Goodyear’s discovery of vulcanization (hardening rubber) by at least 3000 years. In some areas, it is considered an invasive species, and can cause problems in agricultural settings. 

references:

1: And Bly ”Ipomoea alba”. Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. 

2: Liogier, A.H.; Liogier, H.A.; Martorell, L.F. (2000). Flora of Puerto Rico and Adjacent Islands: A Systematic Synopsis. Ed. de la Universidad. p. 163.

3: ”Ipomoea alba”. Germplasm Resources InformationNetwork (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

4: “Rubber processed in ancient Mesoamerica, MIT researchers find”. MIT News.