Convolvulus sarmentosus Balf.f., Proc. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh 12: 83. 1884. (Balfour 1884: 83).

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 : 140-141

116. Convolvulus sarmentosus Balf.f., Proc. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh 12: 83. 1884. (Balfour 1884: 83). Figure 15, t. 44-51

Type.

SOCOTRA, Balfour et al. 302 (holotype K!; isotype OXF!).

Description.

Perennial herb with numerous decumbent stems to 30 cm long, vegetative parts densely greyish strigose-pubescent when young but indumentum much sparser on older parts. Leaves forming a somewhat persistent basal rosette, sessile, 0.8-2.5 × 0.2-0.8 cm, obovate to oblanceolate, apex obtuse, margin entire, at base attenuate into a pseudopetiole, densely silvery strigose; stem leaves narrower upwards and merging with bracts, thinly strigose. Inflorescence a raceme-like thyrse formed of single-flowered cymes; peduncles 2-10(-16) mm long; bracteoles 1-3 mm long, filiform to narrowly elliptic; pedicels 3-5 mm long; outer sepals 2.5-4 × 1.5-2 mm, ovate, acute, green with scarious margin; corolla (7-)9-11 mm long, white, unlobed, midpetaline bands strigose; ovary glabrous; style white, glabrous, divided c. 2 mm above base, stigmas 2.5 mm, red. [ Miller and Morris 2004: 517]

Distribution.

Yemen: Socotra (Miller et al. 10221, 10191, 19107) and Hadramaut (Thulin & Gifri 8652; Thulin et al. 8196).

Notes.

The sericeous basal leaves separate Convolvulus sarmentosus from Convolvulus hildebrandtii and the entire leaf margin from Convolvulus grantii . Mature specimens without basal parts can be confused with Convolvulus hildebrandtii but the stems are herbaceous and “leafy,” the bracts oblong-oblanceolate, rather than linear.