FALLOPIA CONVOLVULOUS

Family and Genus:- See- POLYGONACEAE

Common Names:- Black bindweed

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Fallopia (L) For Gabriello Fallopio (1523 -62) Italian anatomist and

pharmacologist.

Convolvulus (L) Entwined. A name used by the Roman naturalist and

philosopher Pliny.

General description:- Annual or biennial, weak-stemmed, procumbent or

scrambling herb up to 1 m long but usually much shorter.

Stems:-

1) Up to 1 m, angular, twining or spreading.

Leaves:-

1) 2-6 cm, triangular-ovate, cordate to sagittate at the base, acuminate.

Flowers:-

1) In axillary clusters and a spike-like terminal inflorescences.

2) Pedicels, not more than 3 mm, even in fruit, articulated above the middle.

3) Perianth-segments, greenish-white, accrescent.

a) outer, keeled or slightly winged in fruit, rarely with broad wings.

Fruit:-

1) Nutlet, 4-5 mm, trigonous with flat or concave sides, dull black, finely granular.

Key features:-

1) !nflorescence, narrow, scarcely branched.

2) Fruiting pedicels, 1-3 mm.

3) Nut, finely punctate, dull.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Cultivated fields, gardens, roadsides and ruderal habitats. 0-1100 m.

Distribution:- Throughout Greece, especially in the north. - Widespread in Europe

and an almost a cosmopolitan weed of uncertain origin. Rare on Crete and currently

known from only a few scattered locations.

Flowering time:- Late Apr to Aug.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton