Convolvulus secundus Desr., Encycl. [Lamarck et al.] 3: 553. 1792. (Desrousseaux 1792: 553).

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 : 185

177. Convolvulus secundus Desr., Encycl. [Lamarck et al.] 3: 553. 1792. (Desrousseaux 1792: 553). Figure 25, t. 8-14

Convolvulus salvifolius Sieber ex Link, Enum. Hort. Berol. Alt. 1: 203. 1821. ( Link 1821: 203). Type. Palestine/Israel, Sieber s.n. (?B†).

Convolvulus secundus var. latifolius Post, Fl. Syria: 561. 1896. ( Post 1896: 561). Type. No type cited.

Convolvulus secundus var. parvifolius Post, Fl. Syria: 561. 1896. ( Post 1896:561). Type. No type cited.

Type.

“Levant”, sin coll. (holotype P [Herb.Lam.]!).

Description.

Perennial herb from a woody base, stems prostrate, reaching 50 cm, the whole plant densely villous. Leaves sessile, 2-4 × 0.4-1.3 cm, oblanceolate or oblong, becoming elliptic upwards, obtuse, margin entire, lower leaves attenuate at base, upper leaves and bracts cuneate, veins prominent, internodes short so leaves and flower heads more crowded than in related species. Inflorescence characteristically narrow, flowers 1-5 in subsessile, congested head-like scorpioid cymes; peduncle 0-1.5 cm; bracteoles 8-11 × 3-5 mm, lanceolate to ovate, acute; pedicels absent; outer sepals 12-15 × 3-4 mm, oblong, acuminate, flat; middle sepal asymmetric; inner sepals slightly shorter and narrower; corolla 2-2.8 cm long, usually creamy with a yellowish centre, weakly lobed, midpetaline bands long-sericeous; ovary and style glabrous, style divided 6 mm above base, stigmas 3mm; capsule glabrous, 1-seeded (fide Sa’ad 1967); seeds glabrous. [ Sa’ad 1967: 168; Tohmé and Tohmé 2007: 216 (photo)]

Distribution.

Turkey (Uslu 1363, 2671); Syria (Aucher-Eloy 1398); Lebanon (Gombault 693, Blanche 1457); Palestine/Israel (Eig & Grizzi 369, Bornmüller 1108, 1109; Meyers & Dinsmore 272; Davis 4424, 4672). On coastal sand. Records from Egypt are probably errors.

Notes.

Unlike Convolvulus lanatus this species appears to have long trailing stems, which may become somewhat woody when old, but it lacks the spinescent basal branches of Convolvulus lanatus . The sepals are also more shortly villous so the heads are more or less separate. It differs from Convolvulus schimperi in the subsessile heads and leaves not undulate-margined and from Convolvulus spicatus in the subsessile heads although short peduncles are clearly present in some specimens such as Melville 70/31 and Samuelson 527 (both K).

Species 178-181 are extremely similar and may prove to be conspecific. Convolvulus cephalodus differs in the hirsute ovary, but other distinctions are essentially minor differences of leaf shape. Clearly further collections are needed but not even the ovary indumentum is very convincing in the absence of other distinguishing characters.