Calystegia silvatica subsp. disjuncta
Environmental Weed (2024)
Common names
great bindweed
Biostatus
Exotic
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Lianes & Related Trailing Plants - Dicotyledons
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
Perennial herb with extensive and far creeping white rhizomes. Vigorously twining glabrous stems, to 2m or more. Lamina usually glabrous, dark green, triangular-ovate, sagiittate or hastate, base deeply cordate with rounded sinus. Flowers always singly, peduncles usually 8-20cm long. 2 large overlapping bracts at base of flower, enclosing the sepals. Corolla usually 5-8cm long almost always pure white, usually funnel-shaped. Capsule 1-1.5cm rounded and brown, with triangular-ovoid black seeds (Webb et al 1988 with additions from Melanie Newfield).
Similar taxa
Distinguished by the dark green, glabrous leaves, large pure white flowers and large overlapping bracts at the base of the flowers. Hybridises freelly with the indigenous C. sepium subsp. roseata, F1 hybrids can be detected by their pale pink, white-striped flowers. C. sepium (L.) R.Br. subsp. sepium is not present in New Zealand.
Habitat
Terrestrial. Gardens, waste places, forest edges, roadsides etc
Conservation status
Not applicable
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Ecology
Flowering
October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May
Year naturalised
1904
Origin
S. Europe
Reason for introduction
Accidental
Life cycle and dispersal
Reproduces by seed and rhizome.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FACU: Facultative Upland
Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
calystegia: Name is derived from the Greek words kalyx ‘cup’, and stege ‘a covering’, meaning ‘a covered cup’, the calyx of some bindweeds being enclosed in two bracts.
Environmental Weed (2024)
This plant is named in a list of 386 environmental weeds in New Zealand 2024 prepared by DOC. 759 candidate species were considered for inclusion on this new comprehensive list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. The species considered were drawn from published lists of weed species, lists of plants that must be reported or managed by law if observed, existing national and regional programmes and agreements for pest management, and species already managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Candidate species were then assessed to see if they were fully naturalised and whether they have more than minor impacts in natural ecosystems. Read the full report here.