Convolvulus arvensis. Field Convolvulus. 
CONVOLVULUS Lirmxi G,a. PI. Pentandria Monogynia. 
Cor. campanulata, plicata. Stigm. 2 
difpermis. 
Raii Syn.Gen.i 8 . Herbie fructu sicco singulari 
Caps. 2-locularis : loculis 
FLORE MONOPETALO. 
CONVOLVULUS arvenfis foliis'fagittatis utrinque acutis, pedunculis fubuniflons. Lin. Syfi. Veget.fi. 1 68- 
Sp. PI. P- 218. Flor. Suecic. p. 64. 
CONVOLVULUS foliis fagittatis, latefcentibus, petiolis onifloris, ftipuHs remotis fagittatis. Haller. 
hi/L helv. n. 664. 
CONVOLVULUS arvenfis. Scopoli FI. Cam. n. 219. 
CONVOLVULUS minor arvenfis. Bauhin. pin. 294- 
CONVOLVULUS minor vulgaris. Parlinfon. 171. 
SMILAX In vis minor. Gerard tmac. 861. 
Rail Syn. p. 27 S’ Small Bindweed. 
Httdjbn FI. Angl. ed. u p. 74- ei. 2. p. 
Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 140. 
Oeder FI. Dan. icon. 4 59' 
RADIX perennis, craflitudinis pennae coracis, teres, ; 
albida, laftefcens, repens, vix extirpanda. j 
CAULES plurimi, tenues, tortuofi, procumbentes, 
ramofi, plantas vicinas contorquendo adfcen- : 
dentes et faepe fuffocantes. _ ^ , 
FOLIA alterna, haftata, laevia, poftice acute hamata. . 
PETIOLI foliis breviores, inferne convexi, fuperne ; ; 
canaliculati. _ _ . • ' 
PEDUNCULI uniflori, biflori aut triflori. 
CALYX: Perianthium quinquepartitum, mini- 
mum, perfiftens, foliolis ovatis, obtufiufcu- ; 
lis» fig‘ '• , 
COROLLA monopetala, campanulata, patens, plica- 
ta, albo et rubro eleganter pi&a, interdum 
penitus alba, jig. 2. ; ; 
STAMINA: Filamenta quinque fubulata, alba, ; ; 
Corolla dimidio breviora: Anther.® fubfa- y 
gittatae, alb se, fg. 3. , ' . | 
PISTILLUM : Germen fubrotundum, glandula cinc- | 
tum : Stylus filiformis, Staminibus paulo ^ 
longior : Stigmata duo, oblonga, latiufcu- | 
la, fg- 4, 5, 6. • | 
PERICARPIUM : Capsula fubrotunda, mucronata. * 
SEMINA angulofa, fufca. * 
ROOT perennial, the thicknefs of a crow quill, round, 
white, milky, creeping fo as Icarce to be 
eradicated. 
STALKS numerous, flender, twilled, procumbent, 
branched, twining round, and often fuffocating 
the plants growing near them. 
LEAVES alternate, haftate, fmooth, running out into 
two points behind. 
LEAF-STALKS Ihorter than the leaves, on the lower 
part convex, on the upper part channeled. 
FLOWER-STALKS fupporting one, two, or three 
flowers. 
CALYX: a Perianthium deeply divided into five 
fegments, minute and permanent, the leaves 
oval and fomewhat blunt. Jig. 1 . 
COROLLA monopetalous, bell-Ihaped, fpreading, 
plaited, elegantly painted with red and white, 
fometimes wholly white. 
STAMINA: five Filaments, tapering, white, about 
half the length of the Corolla ; Anther®: 
fomewhat arrow-fhaped, and white. Jig. 3. 
PISTILLUM : Germen roundifh, furrounded by a 
gland; Style filiform, a little longer than 
the Stamina ; Stigmata two, oblong, and 
broadifh. Jig. 4. 5. 6. 
SEED-VESSEL: a roundifh, pointed Capsule. 
SEEDS angular, and brown. 
BEAUTIFUL as this plant appears to the eye, experience proves it to have a moll pernicious tendency 111 
agriculture : the field of the flovenly farmer bears evident teftimony of this ; nor is the garden wholly exempt 
from its inroads. . r , 
The following experiment may ferve to fhow what precaution is necellary in the introduction of plants into a 
garden, efpecially when we want them to grow in fome particular fituation. 
& Tempted by the lively appearance which I had often obferved fome banks to affume, from being covered with 
the blofloms of this Convolvulus , I planted twelve feet of a bank, in my garden, which was about four feet in 
height with fome roots of it : it was early in the fpring, and the feafon was remarkably dry, fo that I fcarceex- 
peCted^o fee them grow ; but a wet feafon coming on, foon convinced me that my apprehenfions were unneceflary, 
for they quickly covered the whole furface of the bank, to the almoft total extirpation of every other plant. It 
being a generally received opinion, that if a plant was cut down clofe to the ground, it would thereby be de- 
ftroyed or at leaft very much weakened, I was determined to try the validity of this opinion by an experiment, 
and accordingly, the whole of the Convolvulus was cut down fomewhat below the furface of the earth : in about a 
month the bank W'as covered with it thicker than before. I then had recourfe to a fecond cutting, and afterwards 
to a third but all thefe were infufficient ; for now at this prefent writing (Auguft) the bank is wholly covered 
with it ; nor do I expeCt to deftroy it, but by levelling the bank and deftroying its roots. 
This experiment feems to determine a matter of no fmall confequence in agriculture, viz. that the cutting down 
thefe plants which have creeping roots, rather tends to make them lpread farther than deftroy them ; and that 
nothing lhort of actual eradication, will effeft the latter. 
It is°feldom that this plant is highly prejudicial to meadows, or paftures ; but many fields of corn are every year 
deftroyed by it, or rendered of little value. 
It flowers in June and July. The blofloms vary confiderably in their colour, being fometimes quite white, 
but moft commonly painted more or lefs,^with a lively red. 
Linnaeus’s charafter of this plant, pedunculis unifioris, does not always hold good ; the flower-ftalks being 
frequently branched, and fupporting two or three flowers. 
The leaves fometimes appear quite narrow, and the blofloms have been obferved to be divided almoft: to the bafe, 
vid. Ray's Synopf.s, ed. 3, p. 276. 
