Calystegia and Convolvulus species - Bindweeds

Calystegia sepium and Calystegia silvatica are both common species.

Calystegia sepium Hedge Bindweed is common in waste places and scrubby areas, generally not far from buildings.

Climbs by twining its stems anti-clockwise round other plants, posts.

Calystegia silvatica Greater Bindweed is larger with a flower diameter c 6-9 cm. The sepals completely concealed by two overlapping and much inflated bracts. Flowers white, with or without pink stripes on the outside.

Bracts are about as broad as long and the stamens are thickly gland-hairy in the lower half and c 3-3.5 mm wide near the base.

The leaves can be differentiated by the arrangement of leaf veins near the apex of the sinus - see the first picture in the Calystegia silvatica pictures.

Calystegia pulchra - Hairy bindweed

This is the only one that has shortly-hairy stems and petioles - at least when young. The basal sinus on the leaves is the most square-shaped.

Convolvulus arvensis - Field Bindweed

This is a similar plant and usually has pink in the flowers. There are two narrow bracts below the flower and the sepals do not overlap.

Fallopia convolvulus - Black Bindweed

While the leaves have a passing similarity to the other Bindweeds, the flowers are completely different.

Leaves could be confused with Calystegia sepium, Hedge Bindweed, but Fallopia convolvulus are mealy below. This belongs to a different family and is dealt with here.

There is a good account of the Bindweeds in Lothian by David Merrick here.

The flower white or occasionally pale pink but not bright pink.

Calystegia sepium NS7947 5Sep2020 MP

The bracts are not inflated and do not completely overlap.

Calystegia sepium NS7947 5Sep2020 MP

Two outer sepal-like bracts are not inflated at base and do not completely hide the true sepals.

Calystegia sepium NS5465 05Aug17 PW

The sinus at the base of the leaf is narrow.

Calystegia sepium NS7947 5Sep2020 MP

The sinus can be wider but then is always “V” shaped.

Calystegia sepium NS5465 05Aug2017 PW

C. silvatica has leaf veins that run along the margin at the apex of the sinus, which itself tends to be broader and more rounder.

C. sepium has leaf veins which are remote from the sinus margin. The sinus apex is more acute.

Check several leaves on a plant to confirm this.

Calystegia silvatica NS5565 05Aug2017 PW

The leaves have different shapes as well. C. silvatica at the top, C. sepium at the bottom.

Calystegia silvatica NS5565 05Aug2017 PW

The bracts are inflated and overlap each other.

Calystegia silvatica NS5565 05Aug2017 PW

Flowers 1- 2.5cm wide pink, pink and white stripes or white.

Convolvulus arvensis NS5665 22Sep2017 PW

Convolvulus arvensis 1Aug2017 NS6264 MP

Leaves are spear-like with hastate-sagittate base, usually < 5cm long.

Convolvulus arvensis NS5665 22Sep2017 PW

Convolvulus arvensis NS6762 5Aug2018 PW

Bracteoles are some way below the flower and the sepals are neat.

Convolvulus arvensis NS5566 04Sep17 PW

The seed head.

Convolvulus arvensis NS6762 5Aug2018 PW

The sinus is less pointed or even rounded and tends towards a square shape. This is seen in the sinuses of the leaves in the lower part of the this photograph.

Calystegia pulchra NS7848 20July2020 PW

Bracteoles strongly pouching, not straight-sided and overlapping so hiding the underlying sepals.

Calystegia pulchra NS7848 20July2020 PW

The stem and leaf stalk are hairy, at least when young. This is the only hairy bindweed on this page.

Calystegia pulchra NS7848 20July2020 PW

The sinus is nearly square-shaped.

Calystegia pulchra NS7847 5Sep2020 MP

The leaves might be confused with Calystegia sepium but they have reddish tinge round the edges and they are mealy beneath. The flowers are completely different.

Fallopia convolvulus NS5565 25Jul2017 PW

Fallopia convolvulus NS6158 9July23 PW