EVOLVULUS

Evolvulus L., Sp. pl. ed. 2. 391. 1762; Choisy in DC., Prodr. 9: 441. 1845; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 16: 275; Austin, Fl. Pak @ eFloras.org p. 32.

Herbs or small suffrutescent shrubs, annual or perennial, sometimes creeping. Stem never twining. Leaves usually small, ovate to almost linear, entire, petiolate or sessile. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, 5-merous, hypogynous, axillary, pedunculate, 1 to several-flowered dichasia or solitary, pedicellate or sessile, bracts tiny. Sepals 5, free, equal or subequal. Corolla rotate, campanulate, funnelform or salverform; the limb entire or 5-lobed, midpetaline bands often pilose outside. Stamens included or exserted. Disc cupulate or absent. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary 2-locular, 2 ovules per loculus, glabrous or pilose; styles 2, free or basally united, each style deeply bifid for at least half its length; stigmas long, terete, filiform to sub clavate. Fruit capsular, globose to ovoid, usually 4-valved. Seeds 1-4, small, smooth or minutely verrucose.

103 species

Evolvulus alsinoides

Evolvulus alsinoides (L.) L., Sp. pl. ed. 2. 392. 1762; Gen. Pl. ed. 6. 152. 1764; Choisy in DC., Prodr. 9: 447. 1845; Boiss., Fl. Or. 4: 113. 1879; Stewart, Punj. Pl. 150. 1869; Clarke in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 4: 220. 1885; Cooke, Fl. Bomb. Press. 2: 229. 1908; Bambler, Pl. Punj. 308. 1916; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2. 338. 1921 (Reprint 1980); Sharma & Kachroo, Fl. Jammu (Illustr.) 2: t. 189. 1983; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 442. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 482. 2006. Austin, Fl. Pak @ eFloras.org p. 32; Convolvulus alsinoides L., Sp. Pl. 157. 1753.

Perennial herb. Stems many, 20-70 cm long, herbaceous or suffrutescent, erect, spreading, reclining or ascending, not twining, pubescent with patent, white, long hairs and adpressed short hairs. Leaves alternate, simple, 0.5-2.5 cm x 0.3-1 cm, sessile or subsessile, ovate, oblong, elliptic-oblong or lanceolate, rounded or acute at base, acute or obtuse at apex, mucronate, margin entire, adaxially more or less glabrous and abaxial surface densely clothed with appressed white and silky hairs. Flowers 6-8 mm across, actinomorphic, bisexual, 5-merous, hypogynous, sky blue, 1-3 on axillary, spreading peduncles, mostly equalling the leaves; pedicels up to 6 mm long, deflexed or sometimes absent. Sepals 5, free, 3-4 mm long, lanceolate, acute or acuminate, pubescent with long white hairs. Corolla funnelform, sky blue with white throat; tube very short; limb spreading, 6-8 mm across, 5-lobed, lobes shallow, emarginate, midpetaline bands slightly pubescent. Stamens 5, slightly exserted; filaments filiform; anthers ovate to oblong, dorsifixed, dehiscence longitudinal, introrse. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary 2-locular, 2 ovules per loculus; styles 2, free, filiform, deeply bifid, exserted; stigmas 4, minutely capitate. Fruit capsular, globose, ca. 3 mm x 3 mm, glabrous, 4-seeded. Seeds ca. 1.2 mm long, smooth, blackish-brown.

Flowering and Fruiting: February to May
Common Names: Slender Dwarf Morning Glory, Dwarf Morning Glory; Vishnu-krantha, Shyama-krantha (Hindi)