THE CONVOLVULUS FAMILY 
[ORDER LIII. CONVOLVULACEiE] 
CALYX of S SEPALS, often very unequal, 
remaining with the fruit (persistent), free 
from and inserted below the seedcase 
(inferior). 
COROLLA oi 4 or S PETALS, united 
almost up to the top into a bell-shaped 
or funnel-shaped tube and dividing into the 
same number of short lobes, plaited and 
twisted in bud, inserted below the seedcase 
(hypogynous). 
STAMENS 4 or 5, the same number as the 
petals, inserted on the base of the corolla- 
tube (epi-petalous). 
PISTIL of 2-4 CARPELS united into a 
seedcase with the same number of cells, 
a simple style, and I or 2 stigmas, entire 
or 2-lobed. 
FRUIT a capsule, 1-4-celled, with a few 
seeds, often a solitary one, in each cell, 
opening by valves or bursting trans- 
versely. 
FLOWERS usually large and very beautiful, 
generally growing singly or several together 
in the axils of the leaves, when they usually 
have 2 large or small bracts at the base 
of each flower, or in dense heads. 
STEMS usually twining and climbing up 
other plants, often having a milky juice. 
LEAVES alternate and without stipules, or 
absent. 
DISTINGUISHED by the corolla being 
folded longitudinally and twisted ; and the 
seedcase having 1 or 2 erect seeds in each 
cell. Climbing herbs sometimes parasitic. 
T HE Convolvulus Family is a large one and is widely spread over the temperate and tropica 
parts of the world. Most of its members are climbing plants with heart-shaped leaves and 
large beautiful flowers which are often trumpet-shaped, though some are thread-like parasites with 
small dense heads of waxy, unpleasant scented flowers. 
Some of the tropical species provide our greenhouses with exquisite climbers, such as the 
Common Morning Glory (Ipomoea purpurea). Ipomcea Batatus — the sweet potato — is largely 
cultivated for its edible roots. Several members of the order are employed in medicine — the milky 
juice in the roots of Convolvulus Scammoniae, a native of Syria, yields scammony, and some 
beautiful Mexican climbers, Ipomoea Purga being one, yield jalap. 
I. Bindweed (Calystegia). Flowers large, solitary, trumpet-shaped ; bracts large, embracing 
the calyx ; stigmas oblong or egg-shaped ; capsule indistinctly 2-celled. 
II. Bindweed (Convol'vulus). Flowers large, 1-6, but usually 2 together, trumpet-shaped ; 
bracts small, distant from the calyx ; stigmas long and narrow ; capsule distinctly 
2-celled. 
III. Dodder (CusctiTA). Flowers small, in heads, bell-shaped ; corolla-tube with 5 small 
scales ; stigmas 2 ; leafless parasites with numerous thread-like branches. 
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