CONVOLVULACEAE

MORNING-GLORY FAMILY

Lauramay T. Dempster (except Calystegia)

Perennial (annual), generally twining or trailing
Leaves alternate
Inflorescence: cyme or flowers solitary in axils; pedicels often with 2 bracts
Flower bisexual, radial; sepals 5, ± free, overlapping, persistent, often unequal; corolla generally showy, generally bell-shaped, ± shallowly 5-lobed, generally pleated and twisted in bud; stamens 5, epipetalous; pistil 1, ovary superior, chambers generally 2, ovules generally 2 per chamber, styles 1–2
Fruit: generally capsule
Seeds 1–4(6)
Genera in family: 50 genera, 1,000 species: warm temp to tropical; some cultivated as ornamental
Recent taxonomic note: Recently treated to include Cuscutaceae [Angiosperm Phylogeny Group 1998 Ann Missouri Bot Gard 85:531–553].
(Family description, key to genera by L.T. Dempster)

CALYSTEGIA

MORNING-GLORY

Richard K. Brummitt

Perennial, subshrub from caudex or rhizome, glabrous to tomentose
Stem very short to high-climbing, generally twisting and twining
Leaf generally > 1 cm, linear to reniform, often sagittate to hastate, rarely deeply divided
Inflorescence: peduncle generally 1-flowered; bractlets small and remote from calyx to large and concealing calyx, sometimes lobed
Flower generally showy; corolla glabrous, white or yellow to pink or purple; ovary chamber 1 (septa generally incomplete), stigma lobes 2, generally swollen, cylindric or oblong, ± flattened
Fruit ± spheric, ± inflated
Seeds generally ± 4
Species in genus: ± 25 species: temp, worldwide
Etymology: (Greek: concealing calyx, from bractlets of some)
Reference: [Brummitt 1980 Kew Bull 35(2):327–328]
Intergradation common; intermediate forms often difficult to identify. Appears similar to Convolvulus , but anatomy suggests that the 2 genera are not very closely related.

Native

C. occidentalis (A. Gray) Brummitt

Perennial from woody caudex; puberulent to finely tomentose
Stem decumbent to strongly climbing
Leaf: blade generally 1.5–4 cm at midrib; lobes generally ± distinct, rounded to 2-tipped; sinus rounded to ± square or tapered
Inflorescence: peduncle 1–4-flowered, < to ± > subtending leaf; bractlets 5–12 mm, linear to nearly round, sessile or stalked, entire or lobed like leaves, attached 1–15 mm below calyx, generally ± overlapping but not concealing it
Flower: sepals 9–15 mm; corolla 20–48 mm, white to creamy-yellow
Ecology: Dry slopes, chaparral, pine woods
Elevation: 300–2700 m.
Bioregional distribution: Klamath Ranges, North Coast Ranges, High Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada Foothills, High Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, Modoc Plateau
Distribution outside California: Oregon
Synonyms: Convolvulus o. A. Gray

Native

subsp. fulcrata (A. Gray) Brummitt

Stem trailing or weakly climbing, generally < 1 m
Leaf: lobes distinct, generally 1- or 2-tipped
Inflorescence: peduncle 1-flowered; bractlets attached 2–15 mm below calyx, 5–30 mm, 2–7 mm wide, narrowly lanceolate to widely triangular, lobed like leaves
Ecology: Habitat of sp
Elevation:
Bioregional distribution: Sierra Nevada Foothills, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges
Synonyms: Convolvulus fulcratus (A Gray) Greene; C. deltoideus Greene
Intergrades with subsp. occidentalis, C. malacophylla , and C. macrostegia subsp. arida
Horticultural information: TRY.