pronounced: kon-voll-view-LAY-see-eye
The family name is from the Latin, convolere, to roll together, referring to the winding habit of many of its members. Convolvulaceae are cosmopolitan herbs, shrubs, climbers or leafless parasites, mainly of tropical and sub-tropical regions. They often have milky sap. The leaves are simple, though sometimes lobed to pinnatisect, and alternate. The flower petals are united in the characteristic funnel-shaped corolla. The fruit is very often a loculicidal capsule. The leaves and the starchy tuberous roots of some species are used for food, and the seeds as a purgative. Some species are sources of hallucinogenic drugs, and some are agricultural pests.
