Phil Bendle Collection:Calystegia soldanella (Shore bindweed)

Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Convolvulaceae
Genus: Calystegia
Species: C. soldanella
Binomial name: Calystegia soldanella
Synonyms: Convolvulus soldanella
Common names: Shore bindweed, shore convolvulus, Beach morning glory, Nihinihi, Rauparaha.

The Calystegia soldanellais is a species of bindweed. It is a perennial scrambling vine which grows in beach sand and other coastal habitats. It also grows along lake shorelines. Usually in sand or shell banks but also grows in fine gravel or pumice, talus slopes and on occasion in coastal turf or on cliff faces. It is indigenous to the Kermadec, Three Kings, North, South Islands, Stewart and Chatham Islands and is indigenous to both Northern and Southern Hemisphere temperate regions.
The leaves are fleshy, shining and are kidney-shaped, 2-5 cm in diameter on fleshy creeping rhizomes.
The trumpet-like flowers appear Sept-March and are pink and white, similar to the ordinary garden bindweed or convolvulus.  They are insect-pollinated.  
The fruit which is present throughout the year is large round capsules containing dark brown seeds.
Cooked roots and shoots of this bindweed were consumed by Maoris during late spring to early autumn and was a source of vitamins and carbohydrates Plants often form large patches or low mounds.

 
Photographed on the Coromandel Peninsula in early February.

 

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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