Convolvulus boedeckerianus Peter, Nat. Pflanzenfam. [Engler & Prantl] 4(3a): 36. 1891. (Peter 1891: 36).

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 : 72-73

29. Convolvulus boedeckerianus Peter, Nat. Pflanzenfam. [Engler & Prantl] 4(3a): 36. 1891. (Peter 1891: 36).

Type.

SOUTH AFRICA, Free State, Boedecker s.n. (lectotype GOET-002454, designated by Meeuse and Welman 2000: 40).

Description.

Perennial herb with woody taproot from which spread numerous stems to 60 cm, plant covered in adpressed brown to silvery hairs. Leaves 1-2.5 × 0.5-2 cm, lanceolate to ovate in outline, variable in form from pinnatisect to palmately 5-lobed, often with the terminal lobe much longer and deeply toothed and the basal lobes bifid, base truncate to shallowly cordate; petioles 1-5 mm long. Flowers solitary, axillary, pedicellate but not pedunculate (rarely peduncle to 1mm); bracteoles 1-2 mm long, subulate; pedicels 2-6(-10) mm, outer sepals 4-5(-6) × 2-3 mm, ovate to oblong-elliptic, acute; corolla 7-10 mm long, pink or white, shallowly lobed, midpetaline bands pubescent with brown hairs; ovary glabrous; style glabrous, divided 2.5 mm above base; stigmas 2.5 mm, slightly widened upwards. Capsule glabrous; seeds glabrous, smooth but muricate on angles. [ Meeuse 1958: 674; Meeuse and Welman 2000: 40 (map)]

Distribution.

South Africa except KwaZulu-Natal (Prosser 1529, Werger 289, Shaw 123, Brierley 173, Flanagan 2112, Duparquet 107).

Notes.

Distinguished by the solitary, pedicellate flowers and near absence of peduncles combined with the very small calyx, the sepals usually about 5 mm long and thinly covered in brownish hairs. The inflorescence is similar to that of Convolvulus ocellatus but in that species the calyx is>6 mm long and the whole plant is densely tomentose. It can be confused with Convolvulus multifidus but in Convolvulus multifidus the calyx is larger. It could also be confused with Convolvulus austroafricanus but that species usually has several flowers which are always borne on a peduncle.

There are specimens apparently intermediate with Convolvulus austroafricanus including Moss 4718 from Belmont, Goosseno 728 from Free State and Eyres 1820 and Jacobsen 1772 from Zimbabwe. These have short but very distinct peduncles 5-10 mm long which bear 1-2 flowers, similar in dimensions to Convolvulus boedeckerianus . Unlike Convolvulus austroafricanus these plants are not very hirsute. Given the increasing evidence for hybridisation within Convolvulus these specimens may represent plants of hybrid origin.