Convolvulus arvensis L., Sp. Pl. 1: 153. 1753. (Linnaeus 1753: 153).

Wood, John R. I., Williams, Bethany R. M., Mitchell, Thomas C., Carine, Mark A., Harris, David J. & Scotland, Robert W., 2015, A foundation monograph of Convolvulus L. (Convolvulaceae), PhytoKeys 51, pp. 1-282 : 49-50

4. Convolvulus arvensis L., Sp. Pl. 1: 153. 1753. (Linnaeus 1753: 153). Figure 3, t. 19-27

Convolvulus hastatus Forssk., Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. 203. 1775. ( Forsskål 1775: 203). Type. EGYPT, Cairo, Forssk å l s.n. (syntype C10002044).

Convolvulus minor Gilib. Fl. Lit. Inch. 1: 43. 1782. ( Gilibert 1782: 43). Type. Not specified.

Convolvulus auriculatus Desr., Encycl. [Lamarck et al.] 3: 540. 1792. ( Desrousseaux 1792: 540). Type. MAURITIUS ("Isle de France"), Commerson s.n (holotype P00608776).

Convolvulus prostratus F.W.Schmidt, Fl. Boëm. Cent. 2: 93. 1793 [pub. 1794], nom illeg., non Convolvulus prostratus Forssk. (1775). ( Schmidt 1793: 93). Type. Icon 237 linked to Schmidt (1793) in Prague University Library.

Convolvulus sagittifolius Salisb., Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton 123. 1796, superfluous name for Convolvulus arvensis L. ( Salisbury 1796: 123).

Convolvulus hastifolius Poir., Encycl. [Lamarck et al.] Suppl. 3: 467 (1814), lapsus [spelling mistake] for Convolvulus hastatus Forssk. ( Poiret 1814: 467).

Convolvulus corsicus Roem. & Schult., Syst. Veg, ed. 15 bis [Roemer & Schultes] 4: 256. 1819. ( Roemer and Schultes 1819: 256). Type: CORSICA, no type cited.

Convolvulus cherleri C.Agardh ex Roem. & Schult., Syst. Veg, ed. 15 bis [Roemer & Schultes] 4: 261. 1819. ( Roemer and Schultes 1819: 261). Type. SPAIN, Malaga, C. Agardh (whereabouts unknown).

Convolvulus malcolmii Roxb., Fl. Ind. (Roxburgh) 2: 55.1824. ( Roxburgh 1824: 55). Type. a plant cultivated in Kolkata from seed brought from Iran by Malcolm (lectotype, Icon. 1532 (K) accompanying Flora Indica, designated here).

Convolvulus arvensis var. pumilus Choisy, Prodr. [A.P. de Candolle] 9: 407. 1845. ( Choisy 1845: 407). Type. GERMANY, Thuringia, Wallroth s.n. (P, not seen).

Convolvulus arvensis var. obtusifolius Choisy, Prodr. [A.P. de Candolle] 9: 406. 1845. ( Choisy 1845: 406). Type. Based on Convolvulus corsicus Roem. & Schult.

Convolvulus arvensis var. biflorus Choisy, Prodr. [A.P. de Candolle] 9: 406. 1845. ( Choisy 1845: 406). Type. EGYPT, Cairo, Forsskål s.n. (C10002044, lectotype designated here).

Convolvulus arvensis var. multiflorus Choisy, Prodr. [A.P. de Candolle] 9: 407. 1845. ( Choisy 1845: 407). Type. LEBANON, Mount Lebanon, Mergon s.n. (lectotype G-DC, designated by Sa’ad 1967: 218).

Convolvulus arvensis var. linearifolius Choisy, Prodr. [A.P. de Candolle] 9: 407. 1845. ( Choisy 1845: 407). Type. GERMANY, Thuringia, Wallroth s.n. (location unknown).

Convolvulus arvensis var. auriculatus (Desr.) Choisy, Prodr. [A.P. de Candolle] 9: 407. 1847. (Choisy 1847: 407). Type. Based on Convolvulus auriculatus Desr.

Convolvulus arvensis var. villosus Choisy. Prodr. [A.P. de Candolle] 9: 407. 1845. ( Choisy 1845: 407). Type. CHILE, J. Style s.n. (holotype G-DC, not seen).

Convolvulus arvensis var. minor Lindem, Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 23: 508. 1850. ( Lindemann 1850: 508). Type. BELARUS, Hainowka, Lindem s.n. with annotation Convolvulus quinquelobus (whereabouts uncertain,?LE).

Convolvulus arvensis var. hastulatus Meisn., Fl. Bras. (Martius). 7: 313. 1869. ( Meisner 1869: 313). Type: Southern Brazil, Sello; Uruguay and Argentina, Tweedie: Chile, Maximowicz (all syntypes, whereabouts unknown?B†).

Convolvulus arvensis var. aphacoefolius Pomel, Nouv. Mat. Fl. Atl. 1: 85. 1874. ( Pomel 1874: 85). Type. ALGERIA, Garrouban, Pomel s.n. (isotype MPU005194!).

Convolvulus arvensis var. filicaulis Pomel, Nouv. Mat. Fl. Atl. 1: 85. ( Pomel 1874: 85). Type. ALGERIA, Sidi-Bouzid, Djebel-amour, Pomel s.n. (isotype MPU005193!).

Convolvulus segobricensis Pau, Not. Bot. Fl. Espan, 1: 7. 1887. ( Pau 1887: 7). Type. SPAIN, Valencia, Pau s.n. (holotype MA?, not seen).

Convolvulus arvensis var. cherleri (C.Agardh ex Roem. & Schult.) Halácsy, Consp. Fl. Graec. 2: 307. 1902. ( Halácsy 1902: 307). Type. Based on Convolvulus cherleri C.Agardh ex Roem. & Schult.

Convolvulus ambigens House, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 32: 139. 1905. ( House 1905: 139). Type. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Colorado, C.S.Crandall 4218 (holotype NY!; isotype US).

Convolvulus europaeus Barb.-Gamp., Bull. Soc. Bot. Genève, ser. 2, 12: 236. 1921 [ “1920”]. ( Barbey-Gampert 1921: 236). Type. SPAIN, Picos de Europa, Barbey-Gampert s.n. (holotype G, not seen).

Convolvulus incanus var. glabratus Farw., Pap. Michigan Acad. Sci. 2: 36. 1923. ( Farwell 1923: 36).

Convolvulus arvensis Type. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Michigan, Detroit, Farwell 5950 (isotypes GH00112744, BLH0000114).

Convolvulus arvensis var. paui Maire, Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Afrique N. 28: 370. 1937. ( Maire 1937: 370). Type. MOROCCO, P. Font Quer (holotype MPU006711!).

Convolvulus arvensis var. trigonophyllus Maire, Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Afrique N. 28: 370. 1937. ( Maire 1937: 370). Type. MOROCCO, Mont Amezdour, E.K. Balls 2740 (holotype MPU003790!)

Convolvulus arvensis subsp. crispatus Franco, Nova Fl. Portugal 2: 565. 1984. ( Franco 1984: 98). Type. PORTUGAL, Serpa, Herdade da Loja, F.Goinhas Palma (holotype LISI, not seen).

Type.

“Europe” (lectotype LINN 218.1!. designated by Meeuse 1958: 695).

Description.

Perennial herb from an extensive creeping underground rootstock, branched at base with trailing or twining quadrangular stems to about 75 cm long, plant glabrous to sparsely hairy. Leaves petiolate, 1-7 × 0.5-4 cm, broadly to narrowly ovate-deltoid, obtuse or acute, mucronulate, margin entire or undulate, base hastate to sagittate with simple auricles; petioles 1-2.5 cm. Flowers 1-3 in axillary pedunculate cymes; peduncles 1-5 cm; bracteoles 2.5-3 mm, filiform; pedicels 0.6-20 mm; sepals 3.5-4.5 × 2.5-3.5 mm, obovate to oblong, obtuse to mucronulate, scarious-margined; corolla 1.5-2.5 cm long, white or pink, undulate but not lobed, midpetaline bands often dark pink, pubescent; filaments glandular below; ovary glabrous, style glabrous, divided 7-8 mm above base, stigmas 2.5 mm. Capsule glabrous; seeds tuberculate. [ Sa’ad 1967: 214; Feinbrun-Dothan 1978: plate 65; Collenette 1999: 226 (photo); Tohmé and Tohmé 2007: 213 (photo); Silvestre 2012: 153; Sell and Murrell 2009: 343-344; Austin and Ghazanfar 1979: 28; Siddiqui 1977: 7 (Figure 2); Breckle and Rafiqpoor 2010: 41 (photo); Pignatti 1982: 389]

Distribution.

A very common cosmopolitan weed of all temperate regions which also grows in upland regions throughout the tropics.

Notes.

A very variable species especially in indumentum, leaf shape and flower colour, of which many forms and varieties have been described ( Choisy 1845: 406-407, Sa’ad 1967: 215-219; Franco 1984: 98, Sell and Murrell 2009: 343-344, for example). Convolvulus arvensis is usually easily recognised by the short sepals, which rarely exceed 4.5 mm, combined with a corolla about five times longer than the calyx. The leaves are usually, but not always, glabrous or nearly so and the auricles are unlobed.