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. atriplicifolia Hallier f. subsp. buttensis Brummitt

BUTTE COUNTY MORNING-GLORY

Perennial from rhizome, generally glabrous
Stem decumbent to ± erect, 10–50 cm
Leaf: blade generally 2–4 cm at midrib, generally ± equilaterally triangular-hastate
Inflorescence: peduncle < 5 cm, generally < subtending leaf; bractlets 8–12 mm, 4–8 mm wide, ± cordate-elliptic, entire, obtuse, attached just below calyx, flat, not fully concealing calyx
Flower: sepals 10–15 mm; corolla 30–45 mm, white or pink-tinged
Ecology: UNCOMMON. Dry, rocky places in open forest or chaparral
Elevation: 600–1200 m.
Bioregional distribution: Klamath Ranges (Del Norte Co.), High Cascade Range, San Francisco Bay Area (Mount Diablo)
Synonyms: Convolvulus nyctagineus Greene, in part
Scattered, uncommon, and variable in CA. Ssp. atriplicifolia of OR & WA differs by leaves generally 4–6 cm at midrib, more rounded, less hastate; bractlets generally 15–22 mm; corolla generally 50–70 mm. KR plants are intermediate to subsp. a. SnFrB plants are ± intermediate to C. subacaulis. Also intergrades with C. occidentalis subsp. o
Horticultural information: TRY.