Convolvulus bidentatus Bernh. ex Krauss, Flora 27(2): 829. 1844. (Krauss 1844: 829).

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 : 69-70

25. Convolvulus bidentatus Bernh. ex Krauss, Flora 27(2): 829. 1844. (Krauss 1844: 829).

Convolvulus hastatus Thunb., Prodr. Fl. Cap. 35. 1794, nom illeg., non Convolvulus hastatus Forssk. (1775). ( Thunberg 1794: 35). Type. SOUTH AFRICA, Thunberg s.n. (holotype UPS).

Convolvulus hastatus var. major , Hallier f., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 18: 105.1893 [ “1894”], nom. illeg., based on Convolvulus bidentatus . ( Hallier 1893: 105). Type. Based on Convolvulus bidentatus Bernh. ex Krauss

Type.

SOUTH AFRICA, Western Cape, George near Zivarte valley, Krauss s.n. (holotype B†; isotypes FI!, W!).

Description.

Perennial herb, glabrous to thinly pubescent in all vegetative parts; rootstock thick; stems to 3 m, prostrate or climbing. Leaves petiolate, very narrowly hastate, the central lobe 2-6 × 0.1-0.6 cm, linear to oblong, auricles very small, 0.2-1.2 × 0.1-0.4 cm, usually bifid, apex acute, margin entire; petioles 0.3-1.4 cm. Flowers axillary, pedunculate, usually paired (rarely solitary), peduncles 3-8(-14) cm; bracteoles 3-4 mm, subulate to narrowly lanceolate; pedicels 2-11 mm; outer sepals (5-)6-9 × (4-)6-8 mm, obovate, the apex truncate or rounded and often mucronate, margins scarious; corolla (1.2-)1.5-2.5(-3) cm long, white or pinkish, shallowly lobed, the midpetaline bands thinly pubescent terminating in teeth; ovary glabrous; style glabrous, divided 15 mm above base; stigmas ellipsoid, c 1 × 0.75 mm. Capsule glabrous; seeds glabrous, rugose with pallid ridges. [ Meeuse 1958: 685; Meeuse and Welman 2000: 39 (map)]

Distribution.

South Africa: along the southern fringes of Western and Eastern Cape (Acocks 23072, Bolus 2405, Johnson 1105, Fourcade 2626, Long 883, Zeyher 239).

Notes.

Recognised by the very narrow, hastate leaves combined with rounded, scarious-margined sepals, 2-flowered peduncles and relatively large corolla. The distinctive stigma suggests a close affinity with C. capensis. Long 822 from Port Elizabeth has 3-flowered peduncles and stigmas 3 mm long and might be of hybrid origin but has the distinctive scarious sepals of Convolvulus bidentatus .

Meeuse (1958: 685) selected Thunberg s.n. (UPS) as a neotype but this was unnecessary as there are isotypes of the Krauss collection in the Webb herbarium at FI and at W.