Calystegia sepium Hedge Bindweed

Calystegia sepium, Hedge Bindweed, is a common climbing plant of hedges, fens and marshes and is found frequently as a weed in gardens. It occurs as two separate subspecies in West Glamorgan, Calystegia sepium subsp. sepium and Calystegia sepium subsp. roseata. In both subspecies the two, green, sepal-like bracteoles at the base of the flower hardly overlap, an important character that will separate them from other, similar bindweeds. Both subspecies are described separately here. Hedge Bindweed is one of 4 Calystegia species that occurs in the British flora; the others are Hairy Bindweed (Calystegia pulchra), Large Bindweed (Calystegia silvatica) and Sea Bindweed (Calystegia soldanella). They are all diploids with 2n=22. Hedge Bindweed, Hairy Bindweed and Large Bindweed grow in similar habitats and all are potentially capable of hybridising with each other. Calystegia x scanica is the hybrid between Hedge Bindweed and Hairy Bindweed, Calystegia x lucana is the hybrid between Hedge Bindweed and Large Bindweed and Calystegia x howittiorum is the hybrid between Hairy Bindweed and Large Bindweed. It is more than likely that some (perhaps all) of these hybrids are in West Glamorgan but we have insufficient data at present to comment on their status.