Plants of
South Australia
Convolvulus microsepalus
Convolvulaceae
Small-flower Bindweed
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Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.
Least concern
Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically endangered
Extinct
Data deficient
Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
Mount Gambier
Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
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Prior names

Convolvulus sp. A

Etymology

Convolvulus the Latin name of some bindweed, from 'convolvere' meaning to roll together or entwine. Microsepalus from Greek meaning small sepals; referring to the species small flowers.

Distribution and status

Found in the eastern part of South Australia with a few collections from the Eyre Peninsula, growing on gravelly clay loam or loamy soils on open plains in chenopod shrubland. Also found in New South Wales. Previously recorded from Victoria but now presumed extinct. Native. Uncommon in South Australia. Rare in New South Wales. Presumed extinct in Victoria.
Herbarium regions: Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Green Adelaide
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Arid Lands, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Herb with trailing and twining stems. Leaves linear to oblong, sometimes triangular, to 45 mm long and 20 mm wide, acute to rounded truncate, base hastate or sagittate, lobes entire, 2-toothed to slightly lobed, terminal lobe entire, sparsely to moderately densely hairy with appressed hairs. Flowers solitary, funnel-shaped, white or pink, with a creamish-green throat. Flowering between August and March. Fruits are brown globular capsule to 7 mm diameter. Seeds are dark brown secteroid seed to 4 mm long, surface deep rugose with scattered hairs. Seed embryo type is folded.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between December and May. Collect capsules that are maturing, turning brown and contain hard seeds inside. Capsules can be opened or unopened and some seed can be collected from the ground under the plant. Place the capsules in a tray and leave to dry for one to two weeks. Then rub the capsules gently by hand or with a rubber bung to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. From one collection, the seed viability was high, at 85%. This species has physical dormancy that needs to be overcome for the seed to germinate (e.g. nicking the seed coat).

Seeds stored:
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LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)
Number
of plants
Date
collected
Collection number
Collection location
Date
stored
% ViabilityStorage
temperature
BGA 
MSB
2,700 (25.64 g)
2,500 (23.87 g)
3018-Jan-2007RJB71274B
Northern Lofty
1-Aug-200785%-18°C
Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.
Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.
Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.
% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.