Convolvulaceae

Abstract

Convolvulaceae, also known as the bindweed or morning glory family, in the order of Solanales, is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants, consisting of about 60 genera with approximately 1650 species, worldwidely distributed, mainly in tropical and subtropical regions in Asia and America. Plants are usually herbs or shrubs, rarely trees, and juice. Stems are twining, climbing, decumbent or prostrate, and rarely erect. Leaves are simple and alternate. Blades are entire or divided. Stipules are absent. Sometimes green leaves are absent in parasitic species. Flowers are usually big, solitary, or several to numerous to form cymes, racemes, and panicles or fascicled to capitate. Flowers are bisexual, actinomorphic, 5-merous, usually with two bracts at base, and opposite or subopposite. Sepals are often free or only connate at base, imbricate, persistent, or inflated in fruit in some species. Corollas are sympetalous, funnelform, campanulate, and salverform or urceolate. Limbs are 5-lobed shallowly or deeply, and lobes are revolving or valvate in bud phase. Stamens are isomerous with corolla lobes. Filaments are free or connate at base, inserted on corolla tube, and included or exserted. Disk is annular or cup-shaped. Ovaries are superior, carpels two to five, and 1–4-loculed. Ovules are one to two per locule. Styles are one to two. Fruit is usually a capsule, valvate, circumscissile or irregularly dehiscent, and rarely a berry. Seeds are isomerous with ovules, or less than due to sterile, usually trigonous, and sometimes pubescent. Fourteen species, belonging to eight genera, including two species of parasitic ones in Cuscuta Linn. genus, are illustrated in this chapter.