Convolvulus aschersonii Engl.

Perennial forming annual prostrate or sometimes twining stems from a woody taproot. Stems terete, herbaceous but firm, densely covered (as are all vegetative parts and outer sepals) with a fulvous or silvery white pubescence, up to ± 2 m long. Leaves variable in shape, often on the same plant, but generally oblong to lanceolate-oblong, varying to linear-hastate or ovate, usually hastate at base with basal auricles lobed or dissected and central lobe irregularly crenate-repand-pinnatilobed, not infrequently with 2 small oblong lateral lobes at base and leaf subpalmately 5-7-lobed, sometimes pinnatisect, 30-60 mm x 5-35 mm; pubescence usually strigose on upper surface, less adpressed on lower one; apex usually obtuse to rounded, emarginate and minutely reflexed-mucronate, rarely acute; main nerves and midrib impressed above, prominent below; petiole usually rather stout, terete, 5-20 mm long. Peduncles usually longer than petioles, slender, terete, subumbellately to cymosely 1-6-flowered; bracteoles linear or oblanceolate, 3-4 mm long; pedicels short. Sepals unequal; outer ones herbaceous, oblong, elliptic or ovate-oblong, hairy and ciliate, obtuse or acute, sometimes crisped along margins, 6-7 mm long; inner ones almost glabrous except at tips, membranous to thinly coriaceous, marcescent, shorter (innermost ±4 mm long), much broader, much imbricate. Corolla funnel-shaped, white or very pale mauve-pink, sometimes with mauvish markings in throat, 7-10 mm long and wide; midpetaline areas pale greenish outside, silky towards apex. Stamens with a few short, rounded papillae near base. Capsule globose, apiculate, glabrous, 6-7 mm wide. Seeds dark brown, finely verrucose-rugose, 3-4 mm long.