Convolvulus farinosus L., Mant. Pl. 2: 203. 1771 (Linnaeus 1771: 203).

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 : 78-79

36. Convolvulus farinosus L., Mant. Pl. 2: 203. 1771 (Linnaeus 1771: 203). Figure 7, t. 1-6

Convolvulus cordifolius Thunb., Prodr. Pl. Cap. 35. 1794. ( Thunberg 1794: 35). Type. SOUTH AFRICA, Cape, Thunberg (holotype UPS, not seen).

Convolvulus quinqueflorus Vahl., Symb. Bot. 3: 31. 1794 ( Vahl 1794: 31). Type. Bourbon ex Herb. Thouin (holotype C10009603!).

Convolvulus micranthus Willd. ex Spreng., Syst. Veg. 1: 601. 1824, nom. illeg., non Convolvulus micranthus Roem. & Schult. (1819). ( Sprengel 1824: 601). Type. Of unknown origin, sin col. (holotype B-W 03636-010).

Convolvulus sprengelii Choisy, Prodr. [A.P. de Candolle] 9: 416. 1845. ( Choisy 1845: 416). Type. Based on Convolvulus micranthus Willd. ex Spreng.

Convolvulus penicillatus A. Rich., Tent. Fl. Abyss. 2: 74. 1851. ( Richard 1851: 74). Type. ETHIOPIA, Quartin Dillon & Petit (holotype P-04067180!).

Convolvulus schweinfurthii Engl., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin 2: 348. 1892. ( Engler 1892: 350). Type. ETHIOPIA, Anedehr, Schimper 599 (holotype B†; isotype BM001035801!).

Convolvulus sagittatus subvar. abyssinicus Hallier f., Bull. Herb. Boissier 6: 533. 1898. ( Hallier 1898a: 534). Type. Based on Convolvulus penicillatus A.Rich.

Convolvulus hilsenbergianus Rendle, J. Bot. 39: 61. 1901. ( Rendle 1901: 61). Type. MADAGASCAR, Hilsenberg & Bojer s.n. (lectotype BM-000930463!, designated here).

Convolvulus sagittatus var. abyssinicus (Hallier f.) Baker & Rendle, Fl. Trop. Africa (Oliver et al.) 4(2): 96. 1905. ( Baker and Rendle 1905: 96). Type. Based on Convolvulus sagittatus subvar. abyssinicus Hallier f.

Convolvulus variegatus Sa’ad, Meded. Bot. Mus.Herb. Rijks Univ. Utrecht 281: 246 1967. ( Sa’ad 1967: 246). Type. Cultivated plant, Vocke 3803 (holotype GOET!).

Type.

Cultivated plant grown at Uppsala (lectotype LINN 218.6!, designated by Meeuse 1958: 684).

Description.

Perennial herb, appressed pubescent to farinose in all vegetative parts, especially the younger stems; rootstock not known; stems to c. 1 m, twining or prostrate. Leaves petiolate, 3-9 × 2-6 cm, characteristically cordate-deltoid, auricles usually acute, apex acute to acuminate, margin entire, undulate or serrate; petioles 1-4.5 cm. Flowers 1-6 in axillary pedunculate cymes, peduncles 1.5-5 cm; bracteoles 1-2 mm, subulate; pedicels 1-15 mm; outer sepals 6-8 × 3-5 mm, lanceolate, ovate or elliptic, acute the apex often slightly reflexed, pubescent, inner sepals suborbicular with scarious margins, glabrous; corolla 10-15 mm, white or pinkish, lobed, the midpetaline bands pubescent; ovary glabrous; style glabrous, divided 4 mm above base, stigmas 1-1.5 mm, linear. Capsule glabrous; seeds glabrous, rugose. [ Sa’ad 1967: 225; Meeuse 1958: 684 (map); Meeuse and Welman 2000: 42; Gonçalves 1987: 28-30 (plate); Verdcourt 1963: 41; Silvestre 2012: 257]

Distribution.

South Africa (Salter 9401, Moss 14480, Schlechter 2132); Swaziland; Madagascar (Bosser 12002); Reunion (Bosser 21493); Mozambique (Nuvunga & Boane 296, Junod 423); Zimbabwe (Chase 5314); Zambia (Hutchinson & Gillett 3387); Malawi (Pawek 13136); Congo (Cambridge Congo Exped. 18); Ruanda (Michel 4893); Tanzania (Bidgood et al. 548, Schlieben 881); Kenya (Fries & Fries 198); Uganda (Purseglove 3709); Ethiopia (Schimper 599); Eritrea (?), Yemen (Wood 2990, 3192). Naturalised in Portugal (Welwitsch 805), the Azores and also apparently in Mexico (Bourgeau 362 at K, P, Argüelles 2000 at NY).

Notes.

Usually readily recognised by the triangular-ovate, shortly pubescent to farinose, very acute leaves and small, deeply lobed corolla. However, occasionally plants are seen in which the leaves are ovate or sinuately lobed to more or less palmatisect, particularly in South Africa (Meeuse 9035, Moss 9855) and these are best distinguished from Convolvulus austroafricanus by the appressed pubescent indumentum. Occasional specimens suggest possible hybridisation with Convolvulus aschersonii , such as Archbold 2546 from Tanzania or Pawek 11875 from Malawi. As the only real difference between the two species lies in the leaf shape any intermediate specimen could be the result of hybridisation.