CONVOLVULUS 



BINDWEED OBDEB 



CONVOLVULUS 685 



Culture do. as above. May be grown 

 trailing over rooks, or in the border, in 

 very sandy soU. 



CONVOLVULUS (Bindweed).— 

 The essential characters of Convolvulus 

 are almost identical with those of Caly- 

 stegia, the chief differences being that 

 Convolvulus has usually several bracts 

 below the calyx, a 2-celled ovary and 

 capsule, and slender stigmas. Indeed for 

 practical garden purposes these two genera 

 might be merged, as they have a similar 

 habit of growth. About 150 species belong 

 to the genus, and are distributed over 

 temperate and tropical regions. 



C. althseoides. — A charming twining 

 perennial with deciduous stems, native of 

 S. Europe. Leaves shining silvery, lower 

 ones heart-shaped, deeply crenate, upper 

 ones pedately lobed, the middle lobe being 

 long and pinnately cut. Flowers in 

 summer, large, pale red or lilac, usually 

 solitary. A plant known as argyrceus is 

 probably the same as this, or a variety 

 of it. 



CuUn/re and Propagation. — This 

 species may be raised from seeds sown in 

 heat about March, the seedlings being 

 planted out in June. When established 

 it may be increased in spring by dividing 

 the rootstock. In very bleak parts of the 

 country a little covering with ashes or 

 litter is advisable in severe winters. 



C. arvensis {Small Bvndweed). — Like 

 Cah/stegia sepium this is often a trouble- 

 some weed in gardens, but under cultiva- 

 tion it can be utilised for hanging baskets, 

 or for trailing over old ruins or rough 

 banks. In fact, used judiciously it is a 

 most charming trailer, as may be seen 

 during the summer months on any railway 

 embankment or country roadside, which 

 it covers with a multitude of beautiful 

 white, pink, or pale purple flowers. It 

 has underground slender creeping root- 

 stocks, and trailing stems 1-3 ft. long, 

 bearing hastate or sagittate, entire or 

 sinuate leaves 1-3 in. long. Flowers an 

 inch or more across, usually 2 on a stalk, 

 sometimes more. 



Culture dc. as above. 



C. californicus. — A Californian peren- 

 nial with climbing stems and long-stalked 

 sagittate light green leaves. The large 

 white flowers have a canary-yellow throat 

 and are borne on long stalks. 



Culture do. as for C. camtahricus. 



C. cantabricus. — A deciduous South 

 European hairy perennial, with trailing 

 branched stems 6-12 in. long, and oblong 

 lance-shaped acute leaves. Flowers in 

 late summer, pale red, usually 2-3 on a 

 stalk. Sepals narrow, very hairy. 



Culture and Propagation. — Flou- 

 rishes in dry, light, sandy soil in- borders, 

 warm banks, or rough parts of the 

 rockery. Increased by seed or division in 

 spring. 



C. chinensis. — A Chinese perennial 

 with creeping rootstock and stems 2-3 ft. 

 long. Leaves greyish-green, hastate, on 

 linear channelled stalks. Flowers in 

 summer, open at night or early morn, 

 rotately funnel - shaped, purple - crimson 

 with an equally pointed yellow star in the 

 centre surrounded by a purple zone. 



Culture do. This species may be 

 treated like the preceding. 



C. Cneorum (C argenteus). — A 

 shrubby species 1-3 ft. high, native of 

 S. Europe. The lance-shaped leaves are 

 covered with whitish silky hairs or down. 

 The pale rose-coloured flowers, downy on 

 the outer surface, are borne in June and 

 July in clusters at the ends of the shoots. 



Culture and Propagation. — Although 

 this species is apt to be kUled in cold wet 

 winters, it is, however, hardy enough to 

 stand ordinary mild winters in the south 

 and west. It rarely or never ripens seed 

 in the British Islands, but may be easily 

 increased by means of cuttings. If these 

 are taken from the non-flowering shoots 

 during the summer months, and inserted 

 in sandy soil rmder a handlight or in a cold 

 frame, they will soon root and may be 

 protected under glass until the following 

 spring. They may then be planted in 

 warm sheltered spots in the rockery, or at 

 the base of a south wall in the less favoured 

 parts of the kingdom. 



C. lineatus. — A small deciduous peren- 

 nial 3-6 in. high, native of S. Europe. 

 Leaves lance-shaped acute, stalked, very 

 silky. Flowers in summer, over 1 in. 

 across, deep rose or flesh coloured, hairy 

 outside, 1-2 on a stalk. 



Ciolture and Propagation. — Suitable 

 for the rock garden or border, or for 

 covering bare banks in any soil, but 

 flourishes best in rich sandy loam. In- 

 creased by dividing the roots in spring. 



C. mauritanicus.— A handsome North 

 African trailing perennial, with almost 



