Evolvulus sericeus

Plant: small herb; stems woody at the base, 10-30 cm long, prostrate or ascending, silky, with appressed to more or less spreading trichomes, these gray, white or yellowish Leaves: distichous, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, oblong or ovate to elliptic, 4-25 mm long, 2-10 mm wide, densely pubescent below, glabrous or pubescent above, the apex acute, mucronate, the base rounded to acute, the petioles very short or leaves sessile INFLORESCENCE: axillary, 1-flowered, sessile or on stout peduncles 3-4 mm long Flowers: bracteoles subulate, 2-4.5 mm long; sepals oblong-lanceolate, 3-5 mm long, acuminate, silky; corollas pale blue, pale violet or white, rotate to broadly campanulate, 7-12 mm wide, entire; filaments 2-3 times as long as the oblong anthers; ovary globose Fruit: FRUITS globose, 5.5 mm long, 4-valved, glabrous. SEEDS 1-4, brown or black Misc: Plains, savannas, chaparral and oak woodland:; 1000-1900 m (3200-6200 ft); May-Oct REFERENCES: Austin, Daniel F. 1998. J. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. Convolvulaceae 30(2): 61.

Austin 1998

Duration: Perennial Nativity: Native Lifeform: Forb/Herb General: Perennial herb, stems woody at base, 10-30 cm long, prostrate or ascending, silky, with appressed to more or less spreading trichomes, these gray, white, or yellowish. Leaves: Alternate, distichous, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate, oblong or ovate elliptic, 4-25 mm long, 2-10 mm wide, densely pubescent below, glabrous or pubescent above, apex acute, mucronate, base rounded to acute, petioles very short or sessile. Flowers: Axillary, 1-flowered, sessile or on stout peduncle 3-4 mm long; subulate bracteoles , 2-4.5 mm long, oblong-lanceolate sepals, 3-5 mm long, acuminate, silky; corollas white, rotate to broadly campanulate, 7-12 mm wide, entire; filaments 2-3 times as long as oblong anthers. Fruits: Globose capsule, 5.5 mm long, 4-valved, glabrous. Ecology: Found on plains, in savannas, among chaparral and oak woodlands; 3,000-6,500 ft (914-1981 m); flowers May-October. Distribution: AZ east to FL and south through the W. Indies, MEX, C. Amer., S. Amer. Notes: Our Evolvulus species are often low-growing, have alternate, usually linear to ovate, entire leaves; blue, white or purple flowers often the shape shallow bells or funnels (salverform, rotate, funnelform) that arise from axils; and capsules. The combination of the prostrate-ascending habit, distichous leaves (meaning they alternate in a plane on opposite sides of the stem) with dense, long hairs on the bottoms and less to no hairs on the upper surface, and a white corolla help to distinguish this species. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Evolvulus comes from the Latin evolvo, meaning to unroll, while sericeus means silky. Synonyms: None Editor: SBuckley 2010, FSCoburn 2015