Convolvulaceae (), commonly called the bindweeds or morning glories, is a

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

of about 60 genera and more than 1,650 species. These species are primarily

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

vine A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...

s, but also include

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

s and

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

s. The

tubers Tubers are a type of enlarged structure that plants use as storage organs for nutrients, derived from stems or roots. Tubers help plants perennate (survive winter or dry months), provide energy and nutrients, and are a means of asexual reprod ...

of several species are edible, the best known of which is the

sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant in the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its sizeable, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable, which is a staple food in parts of ...

Description

Convolvulaceae can be recognized by their funnel-shaped, radially symmetrical corolla; the floral formula for the family has five

sepals A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

, five fused

petals Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''coroll ...

, five epipetalous

stamens The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filamen ...

(stamens fused to the petals), and a two-part

syncarpous Gynoecium (; ; : gynoecia) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ...

and superior

gynoecium Gynoecium (; ; : gynoecia) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl (botany), whorl of a flower; it consists ...

. The stems of these plants are usually winding, hence their Latin name (from ''convolvere'', "to wind"). The leaves are simple and alternate, without

stipule In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole (botany), petiole). They are primarily found among dicots and rare among monocots. Stipules are considered part ...

s. In parasitic

Cuscuta ''Cuscuta'' (), commonly known as dodder or amarbel, is a genus of over 201 species of yellow, orange, or red (rarely green) parasitic plants. Formerly treated as the only genus in the family Cuscutaceae, it now is accepted as belonging in the ...

(dodder) they are reduced to scales. The fruit can be a capsule, berry, or nut, all containing only two seeds per one

locule A locule (: locules) or loculus (; : loculi) is a small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism (animal, plant, or fungus). In angiosperms (flowering plants), the term ''locule'' usually refers to a chamber within an ovary ...

(one

ovule In seed plants, the ovule is the structure that gives rise to and contains the female reproductive cells. It consists of three parts: the ''integument'', forming its outer layer, the ''nucellus'' (or remnant of the sporangium, megasporangium), ...

ovary The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/ oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are end ...

The leaves and starchy,

tuberous root Tubers are a type of enlarged structure that plants use as storage organs for nutrients, derived from stems or roots. Tubers help plants perennate (survive winter or dry months), provide energy and nutrients, and are a means of asexual reprod ...

s of some species are used as

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for Nutrient, nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or Fungus, fungal origin and contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, protein (nutrient), proteins, vitamins, ...

stuffs (e.g.

and water spinach), and the seeds are exploited for their medicinal value as purgatives. Some species contain ergoline

alkaloids Alkaloids are a broad class of naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Some synthetic compounds of similar structure may also be termed alkaloids. Alkaloids are produced by a large variety of organisms i ...

that are likely responsible for the use of these species as ingredients in psychedelic

drugs A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestio ...

(e.g. ololiuhqui). The presence of ergolines in some species of this family is due to infection by

fungi A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

related to the ergot fungi of the genus ''

Claviceps Ergot ( ) or ergot fungi refers to a group of fungi of the genus ''Claviceps''. The most prominent member of this group is '' Claviceps purpurea'' ("rye ergot fungus"). This fungus grows on rye and related plants, and produces alkaloids that c ...

''. A recent study of Convolvulaceae species, '' Ipomoea asarifolia'', and its associated

showed the presence of a fungus, identified by

DNA sequencing DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. The ...

of 18s and ITS

ribosomal DNA The ribosomal DNA (rDNA) consists of a group of ribosomal RNA encoding genes and related regulatory elements, and is widespread in similar configuration in all domains of life. The ribosomal DNA encodes the non-coding ribosomal RNA, integral struc ...

and

phylogenetic analysis In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionary history of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical data ...

to be closely related to fungi in the family

Clavicipitaceae The Clavicipitaceae are a family (biology), family of fungi within the order Hypocreales. A 2008 estimate placed 43 genus, genera in the family, but a study in 2020 has increased this number to 50. Phylogeny Molecular phylogeny, phylogenetic ana ...

, was always associated with the presence of ergoline alkaloids in the plant. The identified fungus appears to be a seed-transmitted, obligate biotroph growing

epiphytic An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...

ally on its host. This finding strongly suggests the unique presence of ergoline alkaloids in some species of the family Convolvulaceae is due to

symbiosis Symbiosis (Ancient Greek : living with, companionship < : together; and ''bíōsis'': living) is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction, between two organisms of different species. The two organisms, termed symbionts, can fo ...

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 food plants (e.g. sweet potatoes and water spinach), as showy garden plants (e.g.

morning glory Morning glory (also written as morning-glory) is the common name for over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae, whose taxonomy and systematics remain in flux. These species are distributed across numerous genus, gene ...

) and as troublesome weeds (e.g.

bindweed Bindweed may refer to: * Some species of Convolvulaceae (bindweed family or morning glory family): ** ''Calystegia'' (bindweed, false bindweed, morning glory), a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants ** ''Convolvulus'' (bindweed, morning ...

(mainly '' Convolvulus'' and '' Calystegia'') and

dodder ''Cuscuta'' (), commonly known as dodder or amarbel, is a genus of over 201 species of yellow, orange, or red (rarely green) parasitic plants. Formerly treated as the only genus in the family Cuscutaceae, it now is accepted as belonging in the ...

), 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,

*'' 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 *''

'' 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 ''Ipomoea'' () is the largest genus in the plant family Convolvulaceae, with over 600 species. It is a large and diverse group, with common names including morning glory, Ipomoea aquatica, water convolvulus or water spinach, sweet potato, ...

'' L. –

*'' 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 or is a term used for a taxonomy (biology), taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...

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

References

External links

Convolvulaceae Unlimited
Flowers in Israel {{Authority control Asterid families

Description

Genera

References

Further reading

External links