Family: Bindweed [Convolvulaceae]


Calystegia

Convolvulus

Cuscuta

Dichondra

Ipomoea

The Dodder Family [Cuscutaceae] has been subsumed into this the Bindweed family. This has added the Dodder Genus Cuscuta to the repertoire.

Somewhat perversely, Field Bindweed is the only (UK) plant belonging to the Convolvulus Genus; all the other Bindweeds, such as Hedge Bindweed, Sea Bindweed, Large Bindweed and Hairy Bindweed belong to the Calystegia genus, which is still in the Bindweed Family (Convolvulaceae). Plants from the Calystegia Genus gave their name to certain hydroxy-tropane alkaloids called the Calystegines.

There are two plants belonging to the Dock & Knotweed Family, Black Bindweed and Copse Bindweed which share the same common 'surname' as the Convolulaceae Bindweeds, but are un-related to them. The only commonality between the two species is their propensity to climb other plants or thin objects such as wire-mesh fences by entwining, either clockwise, or anti-clockwise.



[CONVOLVULUS] Field Bindweed

Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) Photo: © RWD



[CALYSTEGIA] Bindweeds

Nominally, there are five petals, but they are fused together to make a trumpet shape, with longitudinal creases where the petals are fused together. Many of the species climb by twining with other plants (and more recently with fences), usually anti-clockwise.

 
[Calystegia]
BINDWEED [CALYSTEGIA] HYBRID CHART
[Calystegia]
BINDWEED
HYBRIDS
BSBI MAPS
Hairy
Bindweed

(pulchra)
Hedge
Bindweed

(sepium)
Large
Bindweed

(silvatica)
Large
Bindweed

(silvatica)
Calystegia
×
howittiorum
Calystegia
×
lucana
Hedge
Bindweed

(sepium)
Calystegia
×
scanica
Calystegia
×
lucana
Hairy
Bindweed

(pulchra)
Calystegia
×
scanica
Calystegia
×
howittiorum

Calystegia SPECIES LACKING HYBRIDS
(Calystegia sepium subsp. roseata) Hedge Bindweed
(Calystegia sepium subsp. sepium) Hedge Bindweed
(Calystegia soldanella) Sea Bindweed

Sea Bindweed (Calystegia soldanella) Photo: © RWD

Hedge Bindweed (Calystegia sepium) Photo: © RWD



[CUSCUTA] Dodders

Dodder (Cuscuta epithymum) Photo: © Brent Clarkson

Greater Dodder (Cuscuta europaea) Photo: © Bastiaan Brak

Yellow Dodder (Cuscuta campestris) Photo: © Dawn Nelson

Family: Bindweed [Convolvulaceae]

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