Convolvulaceae

Taxonomy

Family name: Convolvulaceae Jussieu

Synonym(s): Cuscutaceae Dumort., nom. cons.; Dichondraceae Dumort., nom. cons.; Erycibaceae Endl. ex Meisn.; Humbertiaceae Pichon, nom. cons.; Poranaceae J. Agardh

Common name(s): morning-glory family

*Number of genera/species: 60/1,660

List of genera records in GRIN-Global

Disseminule

fruit or seed

Description

Note: Cuscuta fruit and seed morphology is unique within the family and treated separately below.

Fruit usually dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
, loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
, sometimes circumscissilecircumscissile:
(~pyxis); type of capsular dehiscence, opens by a lid (splitting transversely)
(Dichondra, Merremia, Operculina) or irregular, rarely indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
(Argyreia, Erycibe) or nutlike fruit (e.g. Dicranostyles, Maripa), 2–40 mm long, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, often oblateoblate:
depressed globose
or 2–4 lobed to oblongoblong:
2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded
, rarely trigonoustrigonous:
3D shape—having three faces that meet at distinct angles; triangular in outline
, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
in transectiontransection:
a cross section; representing a plane made by cutting across an organ at a right angle to its length
, stylestyle:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit
persistent, usually 2–4 seeded, except 1-seeded in nutlike fruits, usually subtended or enclosed by persistent, often accrescentaccrescent:
growing continuously
, calyxcalyx:
the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
usually black or brown (all shades), sometimes dark purple, red, orange, yellow or striped, shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
or dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
or pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
, smooth. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
texture varies with fruit type.

Seed globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to angularangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles
, frequently sectoroidsectoroid:
3D shape—a wedge-shaped slice taken from an ovoid or globose structure (2D shape, sector-shaped)
, 1–15 mm long. Rarely winged. Seed coat usually black or brown, shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
or dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, usually thickthick:
having or being of relatively great depth
and hard (bony), usually sparsely to densely pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
, may appear woolly, smooth or longitudinally keeledkeel:
a longitudinal ridge, like the keel of a boat, formed by the lengthwise folding of a structure, such as a lemma or palea
, areolate, wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
, or wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
. Hilumhilum:
on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer fruit surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the outer fruit wall revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle
punctate or if larger than punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
, circularcircular:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an "O" shape
or nearly so, terminal or almost terminal on angledangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles
side, sometimes surrounded by omega-shaped rim.

Embryo well developed, large, green, partially filling seed coat, axil and centric, foliatefoliate:
appearing leaf-like
(linear, Nephrophyllum), straight or curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart
, embedded in endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds
. Cotyledons well developed, 0.6–0.9 length relative to the embryo, folded, apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
emarginate, bifidbifid:
two-lobed or two-cleft (usually in reference to an apex)
, or cleft, sometimes punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
dotted.

Endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds
moderate to scanty, hard, cartilaginouscartilaginous:
texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage
, and smooth.

Cuscuta

Fruit usually dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
circumscissilecircumscissile:
(~pyxis); type of capsular dehiscence, opens by a lid (splitting transversely)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
, often opening near the base, sometimes dehiscing irregularly or indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
and berrylike, 0.9–6.3 mm long, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, ellipsoidellipsoid:
3D shape—elliptic
, ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
, or thimble-shaped, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
in transectiontransection:
a cross section; representing a plane made by cutting across an organ at a right angle to its length
, stylesstyle:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit
persistent and divergent, 1–4 seeded, persistent calyxcalyx:
the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
lobes usually at or near the apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
, sometimes withered corollacorolla:
the inner whorl(s) of the perianth; all the petals of a flower
also present. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
brown, dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, dry or sometimes fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
, often papillatepapillate:
surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex
.

Seed dorsoventrally compressedcompressed:
flattened; in grasses, used to denote compression (not necessarily flattened) either laterally or dorsiventrally
(one flat and one convex side), angledangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles
, or no compression, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to oblongoblong:
2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded
, planoconvex, compressedcompressed:
flattened; in grasses, used to denote compression (not necessarily flattened) either laterally or dorsiventrally
or tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
in cross section, 0.7–3.2 mm long. Seed coat brown or gray, dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
, smooth or roughenedroughened:
texture—having a small, stout, stiff, more or less acute protrusions
, alveolatealveolate:
surface relief—reticulated, honeycombed; ridges that intersect to form polygonal cells with a regular size and shape similar to a honeycomb
, scurfy, wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
or pittedpitted:
surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net
. Hilumhilum:
on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer fruit surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the outer fruit wall revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle
larger than punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
and circularcircular:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an "O" shape
.

Embryo rudimentaryrudimentary:
(of embryo) embryo is small and fills less than a quarter of the seed and can be variable in shapes, such as linear, spatulate, or oval
to weakly differentiated, green, peripheralperipheral:
(of embryo) embryo is curved around the outer edge of the seed, near the seed coat
, filiform, flatly or conically coiledcoiled:
(of embryo) linear embryo is very long and bent to form a coil whereby one end of the embryo is on the outside and the other end near the middle of the seed
or annularannular:
3D shape—forming a ring
, strongly curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart
around endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds
, acotyledonous or nearly so.

Endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds
moderate, hard, smooth.

Habitat and crop association

Noxious Weeds or regulated taxa: USA Federal Noxious Weed List, Cuscuta spp., terrestrial; Ipomoea aquatica Forssk., aquatic.

Federal Noxious Weed Disseminules of the US ID tool provides keys, descriptions, and images of these species.

Identification features

Fruit	Convolvulaceae, except Cuscuta	Cuscuta
Type	capsule, berryberry: an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa. , nutlike	capsulecapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
Size range	2–40 mm long	0.9–6.3 mm long
Shape(s)	globose globose: 3D shape—more or less spherical often oblateoblate: depressed globose or 2–4 lobed, broadly conicalconical: 3D shape—cone-shaped, with the point of attachment at the broad end , ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , oblongoblong: 2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded , rarely trigonous	globose, ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , thimble-shaped
Texture	berries - fleshyfleshy: texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut , mealymealy: loose, dry, and disintegrating in finely granular pieces like meal or flour , leathery capsules - membranousmembranous: texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough , paperypapery: texture—papyraceous, chartaceous; very thin, pliable, and readily torn; like paper , woodywoody: texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood , leathery nutlike fruits - usually hard, woodywoody: texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood , leathery	dry, somewhat fleshy
Surface relief	smooth	often papillate
Color(s)	black or brown (all shades), sometimes dark purple, red, orange, yellow or striped	brown
Unique features	Usually, small, smooth loculicidalloculicidal: type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal) capsulescapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels with 4–8 valves and 2 or 4 often hairy seeds with bonybony: very hard and rather brittle, like bone seed coats. Sometimes, circumscissilecircumscissile: (~pyxis); type of capsular dehiscence, opens by a lid (splitting transversely) capsulescapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels , like above.	Very small, often papillatepapillate: surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex circumscissilecircumscissile: (~pyxis); type of capsular dehiscence, opens by a lid (splitting transversely) capsulescapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels with 1–4, glabrousglabrous: without hairs seeds with coiledcoiled: (of embryo) linear embryo is very long and bent to form a coil whereby one end of the embryo is on the outside and the other end near the middle of the seed , filiform, green embryos.
Seed
Size range	1–15 mm long	0.7–3.2 mm long
Shape(s)	globose, ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , pyriform, ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , fusiformfusiform: spindle-shaped; broadest at the middle and tapering at both ends , trigonoustrigonous: 3D shape—having three faces that meet at distinct angles; triangular in outline , angular	globose, ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , oblongoblong: 2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded , irregular, mitaform
Surface relief	smooth, longitudinally keeledkeel: a longitudinal ridge, like the keel of a boat, formed by the lengthwise folding of a structure, such as a lemma or palea , areolate, wartywarty: surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose , wrinkled	smooth, roughenedroughened: texture—having a small, stout, stiff, more or less acute protrusions , alveolatealveolate: surface relief—reticulated, honeycombed; ridges that intersect to form polygonal cells with a regular size and shape similar to a honeycomb , scurfy, wartywarty: surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose , pitted
Color(s)	black, brown (all shades), purplish black, gray, red-brown, yellow, orange	brown, gray
Unique features	Usually dark seeds, often conspicuously pubescentpubescent: surface relief—bearing hairs with circularcircular: (of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an "O" shape hila and with large, green embryos embedded in hard, cartilaginouscartilaginous: texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage endosperm. HilaHilum: on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer fruit surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the outer fruit wall revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle may be surrounded by omega-shaped rim.	Brown or gray, glabrousglabrous: without hairs seeds with circularcircular: (of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an "O" shape hilia and filiform, green, acotyledonous, peripheralperipheral: (of embryo) embryo is curved around the outer edge of the seed, near the seed coat embryos curvedcurved: (of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart around the endospermendosperm: nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds .
Other
Embryo	well developed, large, green, partially filling seed coat, axil and centric, foliatefoliate: appearing leaf-like (linear, Nephrophyllum), straight or curvedcurved: (of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart , with well-developed, folded emarginateemarginate: with a shallow notch at apex or bifidbifid: two-lobed or two-cleft (usually in reference to an apex) cotyledons	rudimentary rudimentary: (of embryo) embryo is small and fills less than a quarter of the seed and can be variable in shapes, such as linear, spatulate, or oval to weakly differentiated, green, peripheralperipheral: (of embryo) embryo is curved around the outer edge of the seed, near the seed coat , filiform, flatly or conically coiledcoiled: (of embryo) linear embryo is very long and bent to form a coil whereby one end of the embryo is on the outside and the other end near the middle of the seed or annularannular: 3D shape—forming a ring , strongly curvedcurved: (of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart around endospermendosperm: nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds , acotyledonous or nearly so
Nutritive tissuenutritive tissue: tissue within the seeds that nourishes the developing embryo; such as endosperm, perisperm, or chalazosperm in angiosperms; megagametophyte in gymnosperms	endosperm endosperm: nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds moderate to scanty, hard, cartilaginouscartilaginous: texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage , and smooth	endosperm endosperm: nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds moderate, hard, smooth

Distribution

Worldwide, primarily in subtropical regions of Asia and America.

Distribution map courtesy of Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.

References

Goldberg 1986; Ho 2017; Kirkbride et al. 2006; Martin 1946; Noxious Weed Regulations 2020; Olszewski et al. 2020; Staples et al. 2020; Takhtajan 2009; USDA 1980; Yuncker 1932; Zhengyi et al. 2004+

*The number of genera and species is based on Christenhusz and Byng 2016, which may differ from the number of genera in GRIN-Global.