DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWERS. 171 



CONVOLVULUS, BIND-WEED. 



[From convolvo^ to entwine.] 



Convolvulus arvtfnsis. This is a perennial from Europe, 

 with small nearly white flowers. The leaves arrow or 

 heart-shaped with acute lobes. Stems numerous, climbing ; 

 on account of its twining propensity, covering bushes and 

 fences in its neighborhood, it is called Bind-weed. In 

 Britain it is one of the greatest pests to gardeners and 

 farmers. It is worse than the Hedge Bind-weed ; for that, 

 for the sake of climbing, confines its ravages to the bor- 

 ders of the field and garden, while this wanders over the 

 whole ground, and is with difficulty rooted out. And 

 yet it must be acknowledged that this little red and white 

 flower is extremely beautiful ; and, if it were a little more 

 modest, would, doubtless, be a general favorite. As it is, 

 it must suffer the consequence of its impertinence, not on- 

 ly in being avoided, but positively turned out. Like the 

 Calystegias, notwithstanding its great beauty, it must not 

 be encouraged in the garden. 



C. tricolor. Dwarf Convolvulus. This is C. minor 

 of the catalogues ; a native of Spain and Portugal ; the 

 flowers are often pure white, but sometimes variegated 

 with blue and yellow, or blue and white ; the most beau- 

 tiful kind is a bright blue, fading by delicate gradations 

 to a pure white in the centre. It resembles the blue at- 

 mosphere, relieved by fleecy clouds on a fine summer day. 



" When on high 

 Through clouds of fleecy white, laughs the cerulean sky." 



Nor is the form of this flower less beautiful than th& 

 color, either when spread out in full beauty to the mid-day 

 sun, or when, at the approach of night, it closes its blue 

 eye to sleep. The plant spreads out much in every direc- 

 tion from the center, so that a bed of them, with the 

 plants two feet distant from each other, will interlock. It 



