CONVOLVULUS.] CONVOLVULACE^E. 245 



(fleshy in Cuscuta); embryo curved, cotyledons very broad thin folded, 

 radicle short (embryo spiral and undivided in Cuscuta). DISTRIB. Chiefly 

 trop., rarer in the temp, zones ; genera 40 ; species about 650. AFFINITIES. 

 With Cordiacece and Hydrophyllacece. PROPERTIES. Often purgative ; 

 some (Batatas) yield esculent roots. 

 SUB-ORDER I. Convolvula'cese proper. Leafy. Albumen scanty. Cotyledons 



foliaceous 1. Convolvulus. 



SUB-ORDER II. Cuscu'teee (Presl, order). Leafless parasites. Albumen 



copious, fleshy. Embryo filiform, spiral 2. Cuscuta. 



1. CONVOLVULUS, L. BINDWEED. 



Slender, often perennial twining herbs ; juice milky. Leaves alter- 

 nate, often cordate or sagittate. Flowers axillary, solitary or corymbose, 

 white pink purple or blue, bracteate or ebracteate. Sepals 5. Corolla 

 funnel- or bell-shaped, limb 5-angled and -plicate. Stamens 5, inserted 

 at the bottom of the corolla-tube, filaments dilated at the base. Ovary 

 2-celled ; style filiform, stigmas 2 oblong or linear ; ovules 2. Capsule 

 2-celled, the dissepiment sometimes imperfect. Seeds 2 in each cell, erect, 

 testa hard. DISTRIB. Temp, and trop. regions ; species about 100. 

 ETYM. convolve, to entwine. 



SUB-GEN. 1. Convol'vulus proper. Bracts small, placed low on the 

 peduncle. Stigmas slender. 



1. C. arven'sis, L. ; leaves hastate or sagittate, entire or sinuate. 

 Small Bindweed. 



Fields and waste places, from Renfrew and Moray southwards ; local in Scot- 

 land ; chiefly in S.E. Ireland ; fl. June-Sept. Glabrous or pubescent. 

 Rootstock slender, extensively creeping underground. Stems many, 6-24 in., 

 trailing or twining, slender. Leaves 1-3 in., very variable, apiculate, lobes 

 acute, flowers 1 in. diam., white or pink ; peduncle recurved in fruit, 

 solitary, 1-4-ttowered, 4-gonous ; bracts 2, small, linear. Sepals unequal, 

 broadly oblong, obtuse. Capsw/e 2-celled, globose, apiculate. Seeds 4, 

 obtusely 3-gonous, muricate. DISTRIB. Europe, N. Africa, all N. and W. 

 Asia to N.W. India. -A pest to agriculture. 

 SUB-GEN. 2. Calyste'gia, Br. (gen.). Bracts 2, large, enclosing the 



calyx. Stigmas broad. 



2. C. se'pium, L. ; stem twining, leaves hastate or sagittate. 

 Hedges and thickets from Isla and Elgin southwards, and in Ireland ; fl. 



June-Aug. Glabrous, rarely pubescent. Rootstock stout, fleshy, creeping. 

 Stems twining, 3-5 ft., slender. Leaves 3-5 in., membranous, entire, obtuse or 

 acute, deeply cordate, lobes rounded or angled. Flowers 2 in. diam., white 

 or pale pink ; peduncle solitary, 1-flowered, 4-gonous ; bracts ovate-cordate 

 or triangular. Sepals subequal, ovate-lanceolate. Capsule iin. diam., 

 globose, apiculate, 1-celled above, 2-celled below. Seeds smooth, obtusely 

 3-gonous. DISTRIB. Europe, Siberia, Dahuria, N. Africa, temp. N. and S. 

 America, Australia, New Zealand. Rootstock purgative. 



3. C. Soldanel'la, L. ; stem procumbent, leaves orbicular or reniform. 

 Sandy sea-shores from Isla and Forfar southwards, rather local in Ireland ; fl. 



June-Aug. Glabrous. Rootstock slender, running extensively. Stems 



