Convolvulus oppositifolius Alfarhan, Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 106: 259. 1991. (Alfarhan 1991: 259).

Wood, John R. I., Williams, Bethany R. M., Mitchell, Thomas C., Carine, Mark A., Harris, David J. & Scotland, Robert W., 2015, A foundation monograph of Convolvulus L. (Convolvulaceae), PhytoKeys 51, pp. 1-282 : 129

102. Convolvulus oppositifolius Alfarhan, Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 106: 259. 1991. (Alfarhan 1991: 259). Figure 14, t. 1-7

Type.

OMAN, Gallagher 6763/2 (holotype E00285430!).

Description.

Low undershrub from a woody base reaching c. 30 cm; stems densely tomentellous with white, spreading hairs, becoming stiff and rather woody when old and said to form a candelabra-shaped plant. Leaves alternate below but mostly opposite upwards, subsessile, 5-13 × 2-5 mm, elliptic or oblong-elliptic, apex acute to rounded, margin entire, base cuneate to truncate, glandular and hirsute with short spreading hairs on both surfaces; petioles 0-1 mm. Flowers 1-2 in small sessile, axillary clusters near the branch tips; peduncles and pedicels absent or nearly so; bracteoles 6 × 2 mm, oblong, acute; outer sepals 7-8 × 1.8-2 mm, lanceolate, acute, green near apex but membranous below, sericeous; inner sepals narrower (1.5-1.8 mm wide) with membranous margin; corolla 11-13 mm long, pinkish or "pale blue", midpetaline bands villous; ovary glabrous; style glabrous, divided c. 6 mm above base, stigmas short, clavate. Capsule glabrous, seeds minutely rugulose.

Distribution.

Endemic to Oman (Miller 6492; Miller & Nyberg 9462, McLeish 3263; Hughes & Gallagher 7895/15, Popov 68/35, 68/46).

Notes.

Very distinct because of the short clavate stigmas and small, tomentose leaves arranged oppositely towards the branch tips. Some plants have very reduced leaves giving the plant a somewhat different facies (e.g., Popov 68/23, BM) and have been confused with Convolvulus hystrix .