Convolvulus leptocladus Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Orient. 7: 25. 1846. (Boissier 1846: 25).

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 : 143

119. Convolvulus leptocladus Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Orient. 7: 25. 1846. (Boissier 1846: 25). Figure 16, t. 31-36

Type.

IRAN, Aucher-Eloy 4942 (holotype G; isotypes K!, LE!, P!, W!).

Description.

Much-branched fastigiate undershrub to c. 40 cm, the branches usually arising at right angles to the main stem, adpressed pubescent, hairs resembling cystoliths. Leaves commonly absent, sessile, 1. 5-2.5 cm, linear to linear oblanceolate, acute, entire, attenuate at base, subglabrous or with few adpressed hairs. Flowers 2-3 in very lax axillary dichasial cymes borne on rigid branches, somewhat spinescent after flowers have fallen; peduncles 1.5-2 cm; bracteoles 1 mm, oblong-elliptic, minute; pedicels 2-8 mm, very fine; sepals 3-4 × 2 mm, obovate, shortly mucronate, uniformly pale green, adpressed pubescent, inner sepals slightly longer and broader; corolla 11-14 mm long, white, weakly lobed, midpetaline bands pilose; ovary glabrous; style glabrous, divided c. 3 mm above base, stigmas 4 mm. Capsule glabrous; seeds brown, glabrous, smooth. [ Sa’ad 1967: 99; Nowroozi 2002: 45 (plate), 102 (map)]

Distribution.

Endemic to southern Iran ( Léonard 5921, Grey-Wilson & Hewer 127, Rechinger et al. 3389, Scharif 832E, Fasy 337, Foroughi 10671)

Notes.

The very short pubescent sepals are a good character as are the very slender peduncles arising at or near 90°. There seems to be some variation in inflorescence branching, sometimes clearly dichasial (Grey-Wilson & Hewer 127), sometimes almost racemose ( Léonard 5921).