CONVOLVULUS ALTHAEOIDES

Family and Genus:- See- CONVOLVULACEAE

Common Name:- Mallow-leaved bindweed

Homotypic Synonyms:- Convolvulus gracilis.

Meaning:- Convolvulus (L) Entwined. A name used by the Roman naturalist and

philosopher Pliny.

Althaeoides (L) Resembling Althea.

General description:- Rather vigorous, hairy perennial, with woody stock, and a

slender creeping rootstock.

Stems:-

1) Up to 100 cm, slender, trailing or twining, herbaceous, with patent hairs.

Leaves:-

1) Alternate, very variable, often rather greyish, with patent hairs.

a) lowest, cordate to reniform often with an undulate margin, petiolate.

b) upper, deeply lobed, generally with linear, palmately arranged, divisions.

Flowers:-

1) Radially symmetrical, infundibuliform; pink, darker in the bottom of the funnel,

30 to 50 mm diam., solitary or by two on long stems situated above 2 small

acute bracts.

2) Corolla, and calyx hairy.

3) Stamens, 5, equal to each other, inserted into the base of the corolla.

Fruit:-

1) Capsules.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Rocky and stony hillsides with open dry shrubby vegetation, open

coniferous woodland, fallow terraces. 0-700(-1200) m.

Distribution:- Widespread and common across the Mediterranean. Somewhat

scattered with limited distribution on Crete.

Flowering time:- Late Mar-June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton