Convulvulaceae

Convolvulaceae (), commonly called the bindweeds or morning glories, is a family of about 60 genera and more than 1,650 species. These species are primarily herbaceous vines, but also include trees, shrubs and herbs. The tubers of several species are edible, the best known of which is the sweet potato.

Description

Convolvulaceae can be recognized by their funnel-shaped, radially symmetrical corolla; the floral formula for the family has five sepals, five fused petals, five epipetalous stamens (stamens fused to the petals), and a two-part syncarpous and superior gynoecium. The stems of these plants are usually winding, hence their Latin name (from ''convolvere'', "to wind"). The leaves are simple and alternate, without stipules. In parasitic Cuscuta (dodder) they are reduced to scales. The fruit can be a capsule, berry, or nut, all containing only two seeds per one locule (one ovule/ ovary).

The leaves and starchy, tuberous roots of some species are used as foodstuffs (e.g. sweet potato and water spinach), and the seeds are exploited for their medicinal value as purgatives. Some species contain ergoline alkaloids that are likely responsible for the use of these species as ingredients in psychedelic drugs (e.g. ololiuhqui). The presence of ergolines in some species of this family is due to infection by fungi related to the ergot fungi of the genus '' Claviceps''. A recent study of Convolvulaceae species, ''Ipomoea asarifolia'', and its associated fungi showed the presence of a fungus, identified by DNA sequencing of 18s and ITS ribosomal DNA and phylogenetic analysis to be closely related to fungi in the family Clavicipitaceae, was always associated with the presence of ergoline alkaloids in the plant. The identified fungus appears to be a seed-transmitted, obligate biotroph growing epiphytically on its host. This finding strongly suggests the unique presence of ergoline alkaloids in some species of the family Convolvulaceae is due to symbiosis with clavicipitaceous fungi. Moreover, another group of compounds, loline alkaloids, commonly produced by some members of the clavicipitaceous fungi (genus ''Neotyphodium''), has been identified in a convolvulaceous species, but the origin of the loline alkaloids in this species is unknown.

Members of the family are well known as showy garden plants (e.g. morning glory) and as troublesome weeds (e.g. bindweed (mainly ''Convolvulus'' and ''Calystegia'') and dodder), while '' Humbertia madagascariensis'' is a medium-sized tree and '' Ipomoea carnea'' is an erect shrub. Some parasitic members of this family are also used medicinally.

Genera

;Tribe Aniseieae
*'' Aniseia'' Choisy
*'' Odonellia'' K.R.Robertson
*'' Tetralocularia'' O'Donell

;Tribe Cardiochlamyeae
*'' Cardiochlamys'' Oliv.
*'' Cordisepalum'' Verdc.
*'' Dinetus'' Buch.-Ham. ex Sweet
*''Duperreya'' Gaudich.
*'' Poranopsis'' Roberty
*'' Tridynamia'' Gagnep.

;Tribe Convolvuleae
*''Calystegia'' R.Br. – Bindweed, morning glory
*''Convolvulus'' L. – bindweed, morning glory
*'' Jacquemontia'' Choisy
*'' Polymeria'' R.Br.

;Tribe Cresseae
*'' Bonamia'' Thouars
*'' Cladostigma'' Radlk.
*'' Cressa'' L.
*'' Evolvulus'' L.
*'' Hildebrandtia'' Vatke
*'' Seddera'' Hochst.
*'' Stylisma'' Raf.
*'' Wilsonia'' R. Br.

;Tribe Cuscuteae
*''Cuscuta'' L. – dodder
;Tribe Dichondreae
*'' Dichondra'' J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.
*'' Falkia'' Thunb.
*'' Nephrophyllum'' A.Rich.
*'' Petrogenia'' I.M.Johnst.

;Tribe Erycibeae
*'' Erycibe'' Roxb.

;Tribe Humbertieae
*''Humbertia''

;Tribe Ipomoeeae
*''Argyreia'' Lour. – Hawaiian baby woodrose
*'' Astripomoea'' A.Meeuse
*'' Blinkworthia'' Choisy
*''Ipomoea'' L. – morning glory, sweet potato
*'' Lepistemon'' Blume
*'' Lepistemonopsis'' Dammer
*'' Paralepistemon'' Lejoly & Lisowski
*'' Rivea'' Choisy
*''Stictocardia'' Hallier f.

;Tribe Maripeae
*'' Dicranostyles'' Benth.
*'' Itzaea'' Standl. & Steyerm.
*'' Lysiostyles'' Benth.
*'' Maripa'' Aubl.

;Tribe Poraneae
*'' Calycobolus'' Willd. ex Schult.
*'' Dipteropeltis'' Hallier f.
*'' Metaporana'' N.E.Br.
*'' Neuropeltis'' Wall.
*'' Neuropeltopsis'' Ooststr.
*'' Porana'' Burm.f.
*'' Rapona'' Baill.

;''Incertae sedis''
*'' Camonea'' Raf.
*'' Daustinia'' Buril & Simões
*'' Decalobanthus'' Ooststr.
*'' Distimake'' Raf.
*'' Hewittia'' Wight & Arn.
*'' Hyalocystis'' Hallier f.
*'' Keraunea'' Cheek & Sim.-Bianch.
*'' Merremia'' Dennst. ex Endl. – Hawaiian woodrose
*''Operculina'' Silva Manso
*'' Remirema'' Kerr
*'' Xenostegia'' D.F.Austin & Staples

References

Further reading

*
Austin, D. F. 1997. Convolvulaceae (Morning Glory Family)Convolvulus plant
i
L. Watson and M. J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants.
*
Costea, M. 2007-onwards. Digital Atlas of Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae)
*Lyons, K. E. 2001

The Nature Conservancy.
*Calif. Dept. of Food and Agriculture. Undated

*Univ. of Idaho Extension. 1999

*Hodges, L. 2003. ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060110085109/http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/horticulture/nf585.htm Bindweed identification and control options for organic production.NebFacts. Univ. of Nebraska – Lincoln Cooperative Extension
*Univ. of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. 2003
Field Bindweed. Pest Notes. Publ. # 7462
*Washington State Univ. Cooperative Extension. Undated
Hortsense: Weeds: Field bindweed (Wild morningglory): ''Convolvulus arvensis''
*Sullivan, P. 2004
Field bindweed control alternatives.
ATTRA. National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
*Lanini, W. T. Undated

University of California, Davis Cooperative Extension.
*Cox, H. R. 1915. The eradication of bindweed or wild morning-glory. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Farmers’ Bulletin 368. Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office.
*
*New Mexico State Univ. Cooperative Extension Service. 2004
Managing ''Aceria malherbae'' gall mites for control of field bindweed.
*

External links

Convolvulaceae Unlimited
Flowers in Israel

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Asterid families