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. purpurata (Greene) Brummitt

Perennial or subshrub from woody caudex, glabrous, often glaucous
Stem decumbent to strongly climbing, < 7 m
Leaf: blade generally 1.5–5 cm at midrib, triangular; lobes spreading, generally 2–3-tipped; sinus V-shaped or ± closed
Inflorescence: peduncle 1–5-flowered, generally >> subtending leaf; bractlets attached 3–16 mm below calyx, generally not overlapping it, 2–16 mm, 0.4–1.5 mm wide, generally linear
Flower: sepals 7–14 mm; corolla 23–52 mm, white or cream to purple (often ± purple-striped)
Ecology: Chaparral, coastal scrub
Elevation: < 300 m.
Bioregional distribution: North Coast, Outer North Coast Ranges, Great Central Valley (Sutter Buttes), Central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, Outer South Coast Ranges, n South Coast, w Western Transverse Ranges.Sspp. intergrade.

Native

subsp. purpurata

Stem generally robust, strongly climbing, > 1 m
Leaf: blade ± triangular; sinus V-shaped; tip acute; lobes generally strongly angled; margin not wavy
Inflorescence: bractlets opposite, generally entire
Ecology: Habitat and range of sp
Elevation:
Bioregional distribution: North Coast, Outer North Coast Ranges, Great Central Valley (Sutter Buttes), Central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, Outer South Coast Ranges, n South Coast, w Western Transverse Ranges
Synonyms: Convolvulus occidentalis var. p. (Greene) J.T. Howell; C. o. var. solanensis (Jeps.) J.T. Howell
Intergrades with C. macrostegia subsp. cyclostegia, C. occidentalis subsp. o., perhaps C. malacophylla subsp. pedicellata
Horticultural information: 9, 14, 15, 16, 17.