Convolvulus tragacanthoides Turcz., Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 5: 201. 1832. (Turczaninow 1832: 201).

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 : 154-155

136. Convolvulus tragacanthoides Turcz., Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 5: 201. 1832. (Turczaninow 1832: 201). Figure 18, t. 10-15

Type.

MONGOLIA, Tzagan-Balgassu, Turczaninow s.n. (holotype KW!).

Description.

Low grey-sericeous undershrub with woody rootstock, often more or less cushion-forming; branches short, woody, spinescent when old. Leaves sessile, 1-2.8 × 0.1-0.3 cm, linear to narrowly linear-oblanceolate, obtuse, entire, tapering at the base. Flowers in clusters of 1-4 in the axils of the leaves towards the tips of the branches; peduncles absent; bracteoles c. 2 mm long, filiform or linear; pedicels 1-2 mm; outer sepals 4-6 × 3.5 mm, obovate, rounded to truncate and slightly fimbriate, pilose abaxially; inner sepals broader, 4-4.5 mm wide, glabrous to thinly pilose; corolla 1.5-2.5 cm long, pink, unlobed, midpetaline bands pubescent; ovary pilose; style thinly pilose, divided c. 4.5 mm above base, stigmas c. 3 mm. Capsule pubescent; seeds glabrous. [ Sa’ad 1967: 77]

Distribution.

Widespread in central Asia: China (Chung 127, Wilson 288, Farrer & Purdom 99, Bodinier s.n., Popov 133); Mongolia (Pipe-Wolferstan & Phillips 37, Petrov s.n. [10/6/1958], David 2641); Kyrgyzstan (Botchantsov s.n. [29/7/1974], Minkwitz 506); Uzbekistan (Kamelin 36, Ismatova 233).

Notes.

Convolvulus tragacanthoides has the appearance of a spiny Convolvulus ammannii , with which it is sometimes confused, but flowers sessile and clustered.