Calystegia is from the Greek kalyx meaning calyx and stege meaning a covering and refers to the 2 bracteoles covering the calyx.
Sepium means 'of the hedges'.
Greater Bindweed
Other Names:
Greater Convolvulus
Summary:
A perennial, hairless, running vine with arrow shaped leaves and pale lilac bell shaped flowers with a white throat.
Description:
Cotyledons:
Two. Tip indented. Sides indented. Base indented. Surface hairless. Petiole about the same length as the blade.
Leaves:
Alternate.
Stipules - None.
Petiole - Slender. Hairless. About the same length as the blade.
Blade - Arrow shaped to egg or lance shaped, 40-100 mm long, pointed tip, basal lobes rounded or angular. Sides indented to constricted. Base indented. Surface hairless.
Stems:
Long, running vines.
Flower head:
Single flowers.
Flowers:
Single, regular, bisexual, on stalks in leaf axils.
Bracts - 2 large bracts enclose the calyx.
Ovary - Superior, incompletely 2 celled, surrounded by a fleshy 5 angled disk at the base. 1-2 basal, erect, ovules in each cell.
Styles - 1, undivided,
Stigma - 2 oblong lobes
Calyx (Sepals) - Persistent, egg to lance shaped, 12-15 mm long.
Corolla (Petals) - Pale lilac lobes with a white tube, bell shaped, 40-50 mm long
Stamens - 5, inserted on the corolla tube, alternate with the lobes.
Anthers - 2 celled.
Fruit:
1 celled, globular or egg shaped capsule.
Seeds:
Usually 1-3, egg shaped, black, 4-5 mm long.
Roots:
Key Characters:
Biology:
Life cycle:
Perennial.
Growth from the roots appears during the late winter and early spring. Flowering occurs during early summer and may continue through into autumn.
Physiology:
Reproduction:
By seed and running vines.
Flowering times:
Summer.
Seed Biology and Germination:
Vegetative Propagules:
Hybrids:
Allelopathy:
Population Dynamics and Dispersal:
Origin and History:
C. sepium is cosmopolitan and is probably the 'woodbine' referred to by Shakespeare.
C. silvatica is native to South Eastern Europe.
Distribution:
C. sepium - ACT, NSW, SA, TAS, VIC, WA.
C. silvatica - NSW, TAS, VIC.
Widely distributed through Tasmania.
Habitats:
Climate:
Temperate.
Soil:
Plant Associations:
Significance:
Beneficial:
Detrimental:
Weed of roadsides and in urban areas where it is commonly found over-growing fences.
Toxicity:
Not recorded as toxic.
Legislation:
None.
Management and Control:
Thresholds:
Eradication strategies:
Herbicide resistance:
Biological Control:
Related plants:
Plants of similar appearance:
Generally similar in appearance to Bindweed (C. arvensis). The leaves are larger and relatively broader. The flower is larger than that of Bindweed, a purer white and less inclined to be pinkish.
References:
Black, J.M. (1965). Flora of South Australia. (Government Printer, Adelaide, South Australia). P700. Diagram.
Hyde-Wyatt, B.H. and Morris, D.I. (1980) The Noxious and Secondary Weeds of Tasmania. (Tasmanian Department of Agriculture, Hobart, Tasmania). P63. Diagram.
Lamp, C. and Collet, F. (1990). A Field Guide to Weeds in Australia. (Inkata Press, Melbourne).
Lazarides, M. and Hince, B. (1993). CSIRO handbook of economic plants of Australia. (CSIRO, Melbourne). #234.1, 234.2.
Acknowledgments:
Collated by HerbiGuide. Phone 08 98444064 or www.herbiguide.com.au for more information.