209 Species in Genus Convolvulus

August 12 – Convolvulus
"Convolvulus, the bindweed, represents August 12."
Convolvulus symbolizes persistence and creativity. You overcome obstacles with ingenuity and determination. Like its winding vines, you find your way to the light.

My Fascination with Convolvulus

I’ve always been drawn to the delicate beauty of Convolvulus, belong to the Convolvulaceae family, commonly known as bindweed or morning glory. These plants, with their twining stems and vibrant, funnel-shaped flowers, possess a charm that’s hard to resist. Their ability to climb and spread, creating a tapestry of colors, makes them a favorite among gardeners and nature enthusiasts alike.

A Diverse Genus

Convolvulus is a large genus, encompassing approximately 200 species. These species exhibit a wide range of growth habits, flower colors, and ecological adaptations. Some are annuals, completing their life cycle in a single year, while others are perennials, returning year after year. The flowers come in a spectrum of colors, including white, pink, purple, blue, and yellow.

Convolvulus Species

1. Convolvulus acanthocladus Boiss. & Kotschy
2. Convolvulus aitchisonii C.B.Clarke
3. Convolvulus althaeoides L.
4. Convolvulus ammannii Desr.
5. Convolvulus angustissimus R.Br.
6. Convolvulus argillicola Pilg.
7. Convolvulus argyracanthus Rech.f., Aellen & Esfand.
8. Convolvulus argyrothamnos Greuter
9. Convolvulus arvensis L. Plant FAQs: Convolvulus Arvensis – Field Bindweed
10. Convolvulus aschersonii Engl.
11. Convolvulus assyricus Griseb.
12. Convolvulus asyrensis Kotschy
13. Convolvulus aucheri Choisy
14. Convolvulus austroafricanus J.R.I.Wood & Scotland
15. Convolvulus bazmanensis Ranjbar, Ezazi & F.Ghahrem.
16. Convolvulus × beguinotii Maire & Weiller
17. Convolvulus betonicifolius Mill.
18. Convolvulus bidentatus Bernh.
19. Convolvulus bidrensis Sebsebe
20. Convolvulus boedeckerianus Peter
21. Convolvulus boissieri Steud.
22. Convolvulus bonariensis Cav.
23. Convolvulus bullerianus Rendle
24. Convolvulus calvertii Boiss.
25. Convolvulus canariensis L.
26. Convolvulus cantabrica L.
27. Convolvulus capensis Burm.f.
28. Convolvulus capituliferus Franch.
29. Convolvulus caput-medusae Lowe
30. Convolvulus carduchorum P.H.Davis
31. Convolvulus carrii B.L.Turner
32. Convolvulus cassius Sam. ex Rech.f.
33. Convolvulus cataonicus Boiss. & Hausskn.
34. Convolvulus cephalophorus Boiss.
35. Convolvulus cephalopodus Boiss.
36. Convolvulus chilensis Pers.
37. Convolvulus chinensis Ker Gawl.
38. Convolvulus chondrilloides Boiss.
39. Convolvulus clementii Domin
40. Convolvulus cneorum L. Plant FAQs: Convolvulus Cneorum
41. Convolvulus coelesyriacus Boiss.
42. Convolvulus commutatus Boiss.
43. Convolvulus crenatifolius Ruiz & Pav.
44. Convolvulus crispifolius F.Muell.
45. Convolvulus × cyprius Boiss.
46. Convolvulus demissus Choisy
47. Convolvulus × despreauxii A.Santos & Carine
48. Convolvulus divaricatus Regel & Schmalh.
49. Convolvulus dorycnium L.
50. Convolvulus dregeanus Choisy
51. Convolvulus dryadum Maire
52. Convolvulus durandoi Pomel
53. Convolvulus elymaiticus Mozaff.
54. Convolvulus ensifolius P.P.A.Ferreira & Sim.-Bianch.
55. Convolvulus equitans Benth.
56. Convolvulus eremophilus Boiss. & Buhse
57. Convolvulus erinaceus Ledeb.
58. Convolvulus erubescens Sims
59. Convolvulus euphraticus Bornm.
60. Convolvulus eyreanus R.W.Johnson
61. Convolvulus farinosus L.
62. Convolvulus fatmensis Kunze
63. Convolvulus fernandesii P.Silva & Teles
64. Convolvulus floridus L.f.
65. Convolvulus fractosaxosus Petrie
66. Convolvulus fruticosus Pall.
67. Convolvulus fruticulosus Desr.
68. Convolvulus galapagensis Andersson
69. Convolvulus galaticus Rostius ex Choisy
70. Convolvulus galpinii C.H.Wright
71. Convolvulus germaniciae Boiss. & Hausskn.
72. Convolvulus gharbensis Batt. & Pit.
73. Convolvulus glaouorum Braun-Blanq. & Maire
74. Convolvulus glomeratus Choisy
75. Convolvulus gortschakovii Schrenk ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey.
76. Convolvulus goyderi J.R.I.Wood
77. Convolvulus gracillimus Rech.f.
78. Convolvulus graminetinus R.W.Johnson
79. Convolvulus grantii Balf.f.
80. Convolvulus grigorjevii Kamelin
81. Convolvulus hamadae (Vved.) Petrov
82. Convolvulus hamrinensis Rech.f.
83. Convolvulus hasslerianus (Chodat) O’Donell
84. Convolvulus hermanniae L’Hér.
85. Convolvulus hildebrandtii Vatke
86. Convolvulus hirsutiflorus Dammann
87. Convolvulus holosericeus M.Bieb.
88. Convolvulus hormodensis Ranjbar & Ezazi
89. Convolvulus humilis Jacq.
90. Convolvulus hystrix Vahl
91. Convolvulus incisodentatus J.R.I.Wood & Scotland
92. Convolvulus iranicus J.R.I.Wood & Scotland
93. Convolvulus jefferyi Verdc.
94. Convolvulus jemensis Kotschy
95. Convolvulus jordanensis Sa’ad
96. Convolvulus kilimandschari Engl.
97. Convolvulus koieanus Bornm.
98. Convolvulus kossmatii Vierh.
99. Convolvulus kotschyanus Boiss.
100. Convolvulus krauseanus Regel & Schmalh.
101. Convolvulus kurdistanicus Mozaff.
102. Convolvulus laciniatus Desr.
103. Convolvulus lanatus Vahl
104. Convolvulus lanjouwii Sa’ad
105. Convolvulus lanuginosus Desr.
106. Convolvulus leiocalycinus Boiss.
107. Convolvulus leptocladus Boiss.
108. Convolvulus libanoticus Boiss.
109. Convolvulus lilloi O’Donell
110. Convolvulus lindbergii Sa’ad
111. Convolvulus lineatus L.
112. Convolvulus linoides Bornm.
113. Convolvulus longipedicellatus Sa’ad
114. Convolvulus lopezsocasii Svent.
115. Convolvulus maireanus Pamp.
116. Convolvulus mairei Halácsy
117. Convolvulus massonii F.Dietr.
118. Convolvulus mazicum Emb. & Maire
119. Convolvulus meonanthus Hoffmanns. & Link
120. Convolvulus microcalyx C.B.Clarke
121. Convolvulus microsepalus R.W.Johnson
122. Convolvulus mollissimus Bertol.
123. Convolvulus montanus Ooststr.
124. Convolvulus multifidus Thunb.
125. Convolvulus namaquensis (Schltr. ex A.Meeuse) J.R.I.Wood & Scotland
126. Convolvulus natalensis Bernh.
127. Convolvulus ocellatus Hook.
128. Convolvulus oleifolius Desr.
129. Convolvulus oppositifolius Alfarhan
130. Convolvulus oreophilus House
131. Convolvulus oxyphyllus Boiss.
132. Convolvulus oxysepalus Boiss.
133. Convolvulus palaestinus Boiss.
134. Convolvulus palustris Cav.
135. Convolvulus peninsularis J.R.I.Wood & Scotland
136. Convolvulus pentapetaloides L.
137. Convolvulus persicus L.
138. Convolvulus phrygius Bornm.
139. Convolvulus pilosellifolius Desr.
140. Convolvulus pitardii Batt.
141. Convolvulus × platigena Speg.
142. Convolvulus prostratus Forssk.
143. Convolvulus pseudocantabrica Schrenk ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey.
144. Convolvulus × pseudocompactus C.Aykurt & Sümbül
145. Convolvulus pseudoscammonia K.Koch
146. Convolvulus pyrophilus O.Nazarova & Hislop
147. Convolvulus pyrrhotrichus Boiss.
148. Convolvulus randii Rendle
149. Convolvulus rectangularis Rech.f.
150. Convolvulus recurvatus R.W.Johnson
151. Convolvulus remotus R.Br.
152. Convolvulus reticulatus Choisy
153. Convolvulus rhyniospermus Hochst. ex Choisy
154. Convolvulus rottlerianus Choisy
155. Convolvulus rufescens Choisy
156. Convolvulus sabatius Viv.
157. Convolvulus sagittatus Thunb.
158. Convolvulus sarmentosus Balf.f.
159. Convolvulus sarothrocladus Boiss. & Hausskn.
160. Convolvulus scammonia L.
161. Convolvulus schimperi Boiss.
162. Convolvulus schirazianus Boiss.
163. Convolvulus schulzei O’Donell
164. Convolvulus scindicus Stocks
165. Convolvulus scoparius L.f.
166. Convolvulus scopulatus Thulin
167. Convolvulus secundus Desr.
168. Convolvulus selloi Meisn.
169. Convolvulus semhaensis (R.R.Mill) J.A.Luna & Carine
170. Convolvulus sericocephalus Juz.
171. Convolvulus sericophyllus T.Anderson
172. Convolvulus siculus L.
173. Convolvulus simulans L.M.Perry
174. Convolvulus sinuatodentatus Collett & Hemsl.
175. Convolvulus socotranus Verdc.
176. Convolvulus spicatus Peter ex Hallier f.
177. Convolvulus spinifer Popov
178. Convolvulus spinosus Burm.f.
179. Convolvulus stachydifolius Choisy
180. Convolvulus stapfii Rech.f.
181. Convolvulus stenocladus Chiov.
182. Convolvulus steppicola Hand.-Mazz.
183. Convolvulus subsericeus Schrenk ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey.
184. Convolvulus subspathulatus Vatke
185. Convolvulus suendermannii Bornm.
186. Convolvulus supinus Coss. & Kralik
187. Convolvulus tedmoorei R.W.Johnson
188. Convolvulus thomsonii Baker
189. Convolvulus thunbergii Roem. & Schult.
190. Convolvulus trabutianus Schweinf. & Muschl.
191. Convolvulus tragacanthoides Turcz.
192. Convolvulus tricolor L. Plant FAQs: Convolvulus Tricolor
193. Convolvulus truncatus Vell.
194. Convolvulus tschimganicus Popov & Vved.
195. Convolvulus tujuntauensis Kinzik.
196. Convolvulus × turcicus Aykurt & Sümbül
197. Convolvulus turrillianus Parsa
198. Convolvulus ulicinus Boiss.
199. Convolvulus urosepalus Pau
200. Convolvulus valentinus Cav.
201. Convolvulus verdcourtianus Sebsebe
202. Convolvulus verecundus Allan
203. Convolvulus vidalii Pau
204. Convolvulus virgatus Boiss.
205. Convolvulus vollesenii Sebsebe
206. Convolvulus volubilis Brouss. ex Link
207. Convolvulus waitaha (Sykes) Heenan, Molloy & de Lange
208. Convolvulus wimmerensis R.W.Johnson
209. Convolvulus xanthopotamicus J.R.I.Wood & Scotland

Ecological Significance

Convolvulus species play a vital role in their ecosystems. Their flowers provide nectar and pollen for a variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and moths. Their leaves serve as food for the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, such as the convolvulus hawk moth.

Cultivation and Care

Many Convolvulus species are cultivated as ornamental plants. They are relatively easy to grow, requiring well-drained soil and plenty of sunlight. Some species, such as Convolvulus arvensis, can be invasive, so it’s important to choose non-invasive varieties for garden settings.

My Personal Experiences

I’ve had the pleasure of growing several Convolvulus species in my own garden. I’ve been particularly impressed by the vigor and beauty of Convolvulus tricolor. Its cheerful flowers have brightened up my garden, attracting pollinators and adding a touch of whimsy.

Conclusion

Convolvulus is a fascinating genus that offers a wealth of diversity and beauty. Whether you’re a gardener, a nature lover, or simply someone who appreciates the beauty of flowers, Convolvulus is sure to capture your attention.