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. longipes (S. Watson) Brummitt

Subshrub from woody caudex, ± hemispheric, glabrous
Stem stiffly erect or intertwining, 3–10 dm
Leaf < 6 cm, linear to narrowly triangular; lobes linear; sinus rounded; upper leaves less lobed
Inflorescence: peduncle generally 1-flowered, < 20 cm, >> subtending leaf; bractlets 3–17 mm, 0.2–3 mm wide, linear, often with basal lobes, generally alternate, attached 4–50 mm below calyx
Flower: sepals 8–11 mm; corolla 28–36 mm, white or cream to pale pink or lavender
Ecology: Dry, rocky places, desert scrub
Elevation: 600–1300 m.
Bioregional distribution: s California Floristic Province, Desert
Distribution outside California: Nevada, Arizona
Flowering time: May–Jul
Synonyms: Convolvulus l. S. Watson, C. linearilobus Eastw
Intergrades with C. macrostegia subsp. tenuifolia in San Diego Co., C. peirsonii in Los Angeles Co., C. malacophylla subsp. pedicellata in San Luis Obispo Co
Horticultural information: DRY: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 &SUN: 15, 16, 17, 24.