Israel wildflowers: Greater bindweed

Calystegia sepium, Convolvulus sepium, Greater bindweed,
Hebrew: חבלבלן המשוכות, Arabic: لبلاب السياجات

Scientific name:   Calystegia sepium (L.) R. Br.
Synonym name:   Convolvulus sepium L.
Common name:   Greater bindweed, Hedge bindweed, milk convolvulus, wild morning-glory, Rutland beauty
Hebrew name:   חבלבלן המשוכות
Arabic name:   لبلاب السياجات
Plant Family:   Convolvulaceae, חבלבליים


Life form:   Climber
Stems:   Creeping roots as long as 3-4 m; twining light green or red stems; to a height of up to 200-400 cm
Leaves:   Alternate
Flowers:   White
Fruits / pods:   Spherical capsule, 1 cm diameter, containing 2 to 4 large, black seeds
Flowering Period:   May, June, July, August, September
Habitat:   Humid habitats
Distribution:   Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands
Chorotype:   Euro-Siberian
Summer shedding:   Ephemeral


Derivation of the botanical name:

Calystegia, Greek kalyx, calyx and stege, stegas covering, cover, referring to the large bracteoles.

sepium, growing in hedges or used for hedges.
Convolvulus, Latin, a bindweed (Plinius); convolvo, volutum ere, to roll together, roll up, interwine.

  • The standard author abbreviation L. is used to indicate Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, the father of modern taxonomy.
  • The standard author abbreviation R.Br. is used to indicate R.Br. – Robert Brown (1773–1858), a Scottish botanist.