false bindweeds

genus Calystegia

Except for extremely rare examples that I don't expect to encounter, there are no other wild species of this genus in the bay area.

Key features:

small and narrow bracts up to an inch below the calyx, or snuggled up and wide and ± hiding the calyx
stem length, climbing or not
leaf shape, tomentose or not especially around sinus

I.e. thin bracts can be seen further down the pedicel than the calyx.

bracts ≤ 1.5 mm wide
plant glabrous
stem trailing to strongly climbing, ± not intertwined, up to 7 m long
leaf triangular to reniform, lobes wider than linear, 2(3)-tipped, sinus V-shaped or ± closed
peduncle generally ≫ subtending leaf
very common

bracts 1–5 mm wide
plant puberulent to finely tomentose
stem decumbent to strongly climbing, generally > 1 m long
leaf lobes generally indistinct, generally 2-tipped; sinus rounded to ± square or tapered
peduncle < to ± > subtending leaf
common

I.e. the bracts look like a second calyx enclosing the real calyx, and there aren’t thin bracts further down the pedicel.

Caution: ID unsure

plant hairs sparse to ± dense, short, spreading to reflexed, but not tomentose
stem poorly developed, generally ± 2 cm
leaf ± triangular-hastate, with small backward-directed lobes or not; margin ± wavy or not
common

highly similar to hillside false bindweed (Calystegia subacaulis ssp. subacaulis), above.
plant ± tomentose [particularly the leaves]

stem decumbent, not or only weakly climbing, 8–15 cm, ≤ basal rosette of leaves
leaf reniform to distinctly lobed [tip may also be somewhat pointed]

stem well developed, not or only weakly climbing, < 100 cm, without basal rosette of leaves
Henry Coe, Sunol, Mt. Diablo

stem trailing or weakly to strongly climbing, ≥ 1 m
often > 1 flower per peduncle
generally found in dry places
mostly found south of Monterrey Bay, but a few may be scattered within the Bay Area
none of the ones found in the SF bay area have been IDed to subspecies, but ssp. cyclostegia is the only subspecies found nearby

distinguish subspecies by measurements of the bracts, calyx, corolla, and/or stamens (stamens are best)

5 observed taxons / 7 unobserved taxons / 4 keys

Chris’s observations: 95 (60 are research grade)

Locations:

Months:

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Not all sites include this taxon:

Bay Area species: iNaturalist – Calflora