Calystegia

Calystegia (bindweed, false bindweed, or morning glory) is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the bindweed family Convolvulaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution in temperate and subtropical regions, but with half of the species endemic to California. They are annual or herbaceous perennial twining vines growing to 1-5 m tall, with spirally arranged leaves. The flowers are trumpet shaped, 3-10 cm diameter, white or pink, with a sometimes inflated basal calyx.

The genus bears much similarity to a related genus Convolvulus, and is sometimes combined with it; it is distinguished primarily by the pollen being smooth, and in the ovary being unilocular.

Some of the species, notably C. silvatica, are problematic weeds, which can swamp other more valuable plants by climbing over them, but some are also deliberately grown for their attractive flowers.

Calystegia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Bedellia somnulentella (recorded on C. sepium) and Small Angle Shades.

The name is derived from two Greek words kalux, "cup", and stegos, "a covering", meaning "a covering cup". The stem is creeping over the ground, not winding or hardly winding. The leaves are dark green and reniform. The petioles are ovate or elleptical. The corolla is pink or pale purplish, with 5 white stripes.

Selected species
Calystegia affinis
Calystegia atriplicifolia – Nightblooming False Bindweed
Calystegia catesbiana – Catesby's False Bindweed
Calystegia collina – Coast Range False Bindweed
Calystegia hederacea – Japanese False Bindweed
Calystegia japonica – Japanese Bindweed
Calystegia longipes – Paiute False Bindweed, Plateau Morningglory
Calystegia macaunii – Macoun's False Bindweed
Calystegia macrostegia – Island False Bindweed
Calystegia malacophylla – Sierra False Bindweed
Calystegia occidentalis – Chaparral False Bindweed
Calystegia peirsonii – Peirson's False Bindweed
Calystegia pellita – Hairy False Bindweed
Calystegia pulchra – Hairy Bindweed
Calystegia purpurata – Pacific False Bindweed
Calystegia sepium – Large Bindweed, Hedge Bindweed, Bearbind, Hedgebell
Calystegia silvatica – Great Bindweed, Shortstalk Bindweed
Calystegia soldanella – Sea Bindweed, Seashore False Bindweed, Beach Morning Glory
Calystegia spithamaea – Low False Bindweed, Upright Bindweed
Calystegia stebbinsii – Stebbins' False Bindweed, Stebbins' Morning Glory
Calystegia subacaulis – Hillside False Bindweed
Calystegia tuguriorium – New Zealand Bindweed, Pōuwhiwhi, Pōwhiwhi, Rarotawake

Translation

The word "Calystegia" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese.

Translation(s) in other languages: Danish: Snerle (Calystegia), German: Zaunwinden, Estonian: Seatapp (perekond), Dutch: Dubbelkelkwinde, Polish: Kielisznik, Swedish: Snårvindesläktet.