Convolvulus palaestinus Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Orient. ser. 1, 11: 84. 1849. (Boissier 1849: 84).

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 : 59-60

15. Convolvulus palaestinus Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Orient. ser. 1, 11: 84. 1849. (Boissier 1849: 84). Figure 4, t. 33-41

Convolvulus palaestinus var. diversifolius Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Orient. ser. 1, 11: 85. 1849. ( Boissier 1849: 85). Type. TURKEY (Bithynia) ( Boissier 1875b: 107), Pestalozza s.n. (holotype G).

Convolvulus palaestinus var. stenophyllus Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Orient. ser. 2, 3: 124. 1856. ( Boissier 1856: 124). Type. LEBANON, Blanche s.n. (holotype G; isotypes P00836226!, P00836227!, P00836228!).

Convolvulus stenophyllus (Boiss.) Boiss., Fl. Orient. [Boissier] 4: 106. 1875. ( Boissier 1875b: 106). Type. Based on Convolvulus palaestinus var. stenophyllus Boiss.

Type.

PALESTINE/ISRAEL, Boissier s.n. (holotype G; isotype P!).

Description.

Perennial herb with trailing or twining stems from a woody base 0.4-1 m long; stem and vegetative parts adpressed tomentellous. Leaves petiolate, somewhat dimorphic; lower leaves 3-3.5 × 2-3 cm, broadly to narrowly ovate, acute, margin crenate, base broadly cordate and cuneate onto the petiole; middle and upper leaves with an acute triangular central lobe 3-5 × 0.4-0.6 cm, the margin entire to sinuate, basal auricles deeply lobed with many acute lobes; petioles 0.3-2.3 cm, diminishing in length upwards. Flowers 1-3 in pedunculate axillary cymes; peduncles 1.5-5.5 cm; bracteoles 2-4 mm long, filiform; pedicels 2-8 mm, frequently recurved; outer sepals 8-10 × 4-5 mm, obovate, obtuse, densely pubescent; inner sepals c. 1 mm shorter, obovate-elliptic, rounded and crenate at apex, scarious; corolla 2.2-3 cm long, yellow, unlobed, midpetaline bands shortly pubescent near apex; filaments glandular below; ovary pubescent; style glabrous, divided 8 mm above base, stigmas 2-3 mm. Capsule apically pubescent; seeds verruculose. [ Sa’ad 1967: 238; Feinbrun-Dothan 1978: plate 68; Tohmé and Tohmé 2007: 217 (photo as Convolvulus stenophyllus )]

Distribution.

Lebanon south to Sinai: Palestine/Israel (Meyers & Dinsmore 1776, 3776, Meyers 3409, Dinsmore 10829, Balls 1539); Lebanon ( Bornmüller 12139); Syria (Gaillardot 2054); Egypt: Sinai (fide Boulos 2000: 251).

Notes.

Resembles Convolvulus scammonia in its yellow flowers but inner sepals slightly shorter than outer sepals and plant tomentellous. The leaves are usually dimorphic; the type shows the ovate lower (or first) leaves while that of Convolvulus stenophyllus at P has both leaf forms.