Convolvulus althaeoides subsp. tenuissimus (Sm.) Batt., Fl. Algerie 592. 1890. (Battandier 1890: 592)

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 : 65-66

22b. Convolvulus althaeoides subsp. tenuissimus (Sm.) Batt., Fl. Algerie 592. 1890. (Battandier 1890: 592)

Convolvulus elegantissimus Mill., Gard. Dict. ed. 8: 22. 1768. ( Miller 1768: 22). Type. A plant cultivated in the Chelsea Physic Garden, Miller s.n. (holotype BM001035799!).

Convolvulus sericeus Forssk., Fl. Egypt-Arab. 204. 1775, nom. illeg., non Convolvulus sericeus L. (1767). ( Forsskål 1775: 204). Type. TURKEY, Sea of Marmora, Forsskål (syntypes C).

Convolvulus tenuissimus Sm., Fl. Graec. Prodr (Sibthorp & Smith) 1: 134. 1806. ( Sibthorp and Smith 1806: 134). Type. GREECE, collector unknown (holotype OXF-SIB0463A!).

Convolvulus althaeoides var. pedatus Choisy, Prodr. [A.P. de Candolle] 9: 409. 1845. ( Choisy 1845: 409). Type. Without locality, Forsskål s.n. (lectotype BM001014569!, designated here).

Convolvulus althaeoides subsp. elegantissimus (Mill.) Quézel & Santa, Nouv. Fl. Algérie 758. 1963. ( Quézel and Santa 1963: 758). Type. Based on Convolvulus elegantissimus Mill.

Type.

Based Convolvulus tenuissimus Sm.

Distinguishing features.

Plant softly sericeous in all parts. Leaves finely dissected with narrow linear lobes. [ Tohmé and Tohmé 2007: 215 (photo as Convolvulus elegantissimus ); Pignatti 1982: 389 (as Convolvulus elegantissimus ); Polunin 1980 (Plate 35); Strid and Strid 2009: 392-393 (plate as Convolvulus elegantissimus )].

Distribution.

Mostly East Mediterranean region with scattered records in the west: Turkey (Davis 41184, Sintenis 338); Lebanon (Mouterde 12135); Aegean Islands (Platt 86, Rechinger 3816); Greece (Heldreich 235); Albania (Baldacci 1892); Croatia (Denis 121); Hungary (Degen 2934); Rumania (Degen 90); Italy (Fiori & Béguinot s.n. [1924]); Malta (Adler s.n. [12/5/1994]); France (Bruyas 3345); Malta (Davis 50632); Algeria (Gombault s.n. [24/3/1935]).

Notes.

The species as a whole is widely distributed around the Mediterranean extending to Madeira and the Canary Islands, where it may be introduced. Subsp. tenuissimus is the predominant subspecies in SE Europe extending from southern Austria and Hungary to Italy, Malta, Algeria, the Aegean Islands and Turkey, perhaps centred on the Adriatic. It should be noted that if this subspecies is recognised at specific level its correct name is Convolvulus elegantissimus Mill. subsp. althaeoides is the only subspecies in the west Mediterranean region and the predominant subspecies in Cyprus, the Levant and North Africa. It is naturalised in California ( Hickman 1993: 521). Records from Eritrea ( Sebsebe 1999: 78), where it is presumably a garden plant or garden escape, do not specify a subspecies.

This species is morphologically very similar to Convolvulus capensis from South Africa. Both species are extremely variable and some forms are not easily distinguished except on geographical grounds. Molecular studies, however, indicate they belong to different clades and Convolvulus capensis has distinctly shorter, thicker stigmas ( Williams et al. 2014).