English Name: Bindweed.

Vern.: Hiranpadi.

SHAHINA GHAZANFAR

Convolvulus arvensis Illustration Credit: S. Hameed

Climbing and prostrate annual or perennial herbs, branching at the base. Stems (20-) 40-100 cm long, glabrous to pubescent. Leaves glabrous to pubescent, 22-45 (-50) x 3-30 mm, ovate to broadly oblong or linear to linear-oblong, sagittate to hastate, acute to obtuse, petiole (3-) 9-20 mm long. Flowers campanulate, bracteate, 1 (-2), axillary, pale pink to lilac with dark purple bands, pedicellate, pedicel 8-14 mm long, pubescent to glabrous, bracteoles linear, 3 mm long. Sepals scarious, 4-5 mm long, broadly oblong, obtuse, retuse or apiculate, sparsely pubescent to glabrous. Corolla (15-) 18 (-22) mm long. Filaments unequal, 5-7 mm long, anthers 2 mm long. Ovary glabrous, on a disc. Stigma 4 mm long, filiform. Capsule globose, c. 5 mm in diameter. Seeds 4, 4 mm long, dark brown, tuberculate.

Fl. Per.: All year.

Type: ‘In Europea agris,’ Linnaeus 281.1. (LINN).

A-7 Chitral: Chitral to Perpesh, 6000', common, I.I. Chaudri 51 (RAW), S. of Tirich Mir, Stainton 2744 (E), Drosh, Stainton 2386 (E), Nagar, Polunin 6399 (E), nr. airport, Sultanul Abedin 8100 (KUH), B-7 Kaghan, Duthie 22070 (RAW), B-8 1 mile from Babusar Village, on way to Gilgit, M. Qaiser & Azmet Ali 5954 (KUH), Skardu, Webster & Nasir 5852 (RAW, GH), Gilgit, Giles s.n. (E), C-6 Peshawar, A.R. Beg ARS 78 (PPFI-B), Parachinar, Siddiqi & Y. Nasir 6401 (RAW), Peshawar University Town, 7.8.71, Khattak s.n. (PES), Darrah Adam Khel, S.A. Khan 286 (PPFI-B), C-7 Rawalpindi, M. Nath 191 (RAW), Nathia Gali, M. Qaiser & A. Ghafoor 2072 (KUH), Jhelum Dist.: Choa Saiden Shah, M. Qaiser & A. Ghafoor s.n. (KUH), Baluchistan : D-4 Quetta, Lamond 908 (E), Ziarat, M. Nath 2370 (RAW), id., Lace 3786 (E), nr. Quetta, Sinclair 2796 (E), D-5 Pathankote nr. Loralai, M. Nath 6023 (RAW), D-6 D.I.K., Tank, coll. ignot (E), D-7 Lyallpur: 20.5.71, Mohd. Idris s.n. (RAW), D-8 Lahore, Sultan ul Abedin 2326 (KUH), E-5 Sibi, 1.1.69, M .Qaiser s.n. (KUH), G-4 Karachi, N. Parveen s.n. (E), G-5 Sind: Tando Jam, A. falls 507 (RAW), Mirpur Khas S.I.Ali, Farooqi & Sultanul Abedin 4531 (KUH).

Distribution: Throughout the temperate and tropical regions of the world, except Australia.

Very common, found throughout Pakistan, as a weed in fields by roadside, in gardens, from 600- 2500 m. A species extremely variable in shape, size and pubescence of leaf.

Some authors recognise var. linearifolius Choisy (Stace, Fl. Eur. 3:81.1972) with linear oblong leaves and prominently saggittate to auriculate base. Since both kinds of leaves may be found on the same plant (Grigor’ ev in Fl. URSS, 19:30.1953) this variation may be environmental, due to growth in strong light or dry habitat.

The plant yields 1.5-4.0 % resinous substance, h aving catharitic properties. Medicinally used as a purgative, as fodder for goats and cattle.