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You are viewing an archived site. The Chesapeake Bay Introduced Species Database project ended in 2020 and the database is no longer receiving updates. Learn more…
Image of Calystegia sepium

Calystegia sepium

Plants

False Hedge Bindweed

Hedge Bindweed is a vine that grows in the upper zones of fresh to brackish (polyhaline) marshes and fields in all regions of the Chesapeake Bay. Hedge Bindweed is the common name given to all Calystegia sepium plants in the area, but in this case there are several subspecies, some are native, but one, Calystegia sepium spp. sepium, is introduced from Europe. These subspecies are often not distinguished in collections, making the history and distribution of the introduced variety difficult to trace. The native subspecies are widespread throughout North America, but the introduced plant is confined to the East Coast. Based on careful analysis of various herbarium collections, researchers have found evidence for an early introduction starting from the 1800s. In the Chesapeake Bay region the European variety is thought to be common but the plants are not generally identified beyond the species level making it difficult to distinguish between the native and introduced varieties. Plants with white flowers are probably the introduced subspecies, while those with pink and white flowers are probably native, but hybrids may occur.

Image Credit: Wiki Commons

Description Taxonomy Invasion History Ecology Impacts References

Description

One introduced and at least four native subspecies (or varieties) of Calystegia sepium (Hedge Bindweed) are known to occur in MD and VA (Brown and Brown 1984; Natural Resources Conservation Service 2001). Since most estuarine, field records don't distinguish between subspecies, we will treat C. sepium as one cryptogenic species.


Taxonomy

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Plantae Magnoliophyta Magnoliopsida Solanales Convolvulaceae Calystegia

Synonyms

Convolvulus sepium; Convulvulus repens

Invasion History

Chesapeake Bay Status

First Record Population Range Introduction Residency Source Region Native Region Vectors
1739 Established Stable Cryptogenic Boundary Resident Europe Eurasia Agriculture(Agricultural Weed),Shipping(Dry Ballast)

History of Spread

Calystegia sepium (Hedge Bindweed) in North America consists of one introduced Eurasian form (C. sepium spp. sepium) and several native subspecies or varieties (Fernald 1950; Gleason 1963; Gleason and Cronquist 1991). These subspecies are often not distinguished in collections, making the history and distribution of the introduced variety difficult to trace. Native subspecies of C. sepium are widespread throughout North America, but the introduced C. s. ssp. sepium is confined to the East, from MA and WI south to GA and AL (Natural Resources Conservation Service 2001). Specimens collected by John Clayton in VA in the 1730s were the native C. s. ssp. angulata (as C. s. var. repens) (Natural History Museum (UK) 2001). Nonetheless, an early introduction of C. s. ssp. sepium is likely. Gray (1848) distinguishes between the more common C. s. ssp. angulata (as C. s. var. repens , found 'on gravelly shores' and the typical European form. Gleason and Cronquist (1991) refer to the named subspecies as 'confluent', implying genetic exchange among them.

In the Chesapeake Bay region, Calystegia sepium (all subspecies) is widespread both in the watershed and in estuaries, but the identity of these plants is uncertain. Brown and Brown (1984) referred to C. s. ssp. sepium as 'the common introduced variety” . We are assuming that both native and introduced varieties occur in Chesapeake Bay estuaries, but the relative abundance and distribution of these forms requires further study. White-flowered plants in Dyke Marsh, on the Potomac River, Alexandria VA, appear to be the introduced C. s. ssp. sepium, while pink-and-white flowered plants in Rhode River (Edgewater MD) resemble the native varieties, based on illustrations in Gleason (1963) (Fofonoff, unpublished data). Calystegia sepium (all varieties) occurs in nearly all VA counties, and is widespread in MD (Brown and Brown 1984; Harvill et al. 1992). The species ranges from rare to abundant in upper zones of fresh to brackish (polyhaline) marshes in all regions of the Chesapeake Bay (Sipple 1978; Wass 1972), and in adjacent Atlantic Coastal Bays (Hill 1986; Klotz 1986).

References- Brown and Brown 1984; Fernald 1950; Gleason 1963; Gleason and Cronquist 1991; Gray 1848; Harvill et al. 1992; Hill 1986; Klotz 1986; Sipple 1978; Natural History Museum (UK) 2001; Natural Resources Conservation Service 2001; Wass 1972

Invasion Comments

Ecology

Environmental Tolerances

For SurvivalFor Reproduction
Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum
Temperature (ºC)
Salinity (‰) 0.0 0.0
Oxygen
pH
Salinity Range fresh-meso

Age and Growth

Male Female
Minimum Adult Size (mm)
Typical Adult Size (mm)
Maximum Adult Size (mm)
Maximum Longevity (yrs)
Typical Longevity (yrs

Reproduction

Start Peak End
Reproductive Season
Typical Number of Young
Per Reproductive Event
Sexuality Mode(s)
Mode(s) of Asexual
Reproduction
Fertilization Type(s)
More than One Reproduction
Event per Year
Reproductive Startegy
Egg/Seed Form

Impacts

Economic Impacts in Chesapeake Bay

Calystegia sepium (Hedge Bindweed) has no known economic impacts in Chesapeake Bay proper. It may be an agricultural weed in the watershed, and may also be occasionally cultivated for its attractive flowers.


Economic Impacts Outside of Chesapeake Bay

Calystegia sepium (Hedge Bindweed) is an important agricultural weed in North America (Agricultural Research Service 1970; Muenscher 1980). Gardening websites indicate that this plant is sometimes cultivated for its attractive flowers, despite its invasive nature.

References- Agricultural Research Service 1970; Muenscher 1980


Ecological Impacts on Chesapeake Native Species

Both introduced and native varieties of Calystegia sepium (Hedge Bindweed) occur as vines twining on vegetation in Chesapeake Bay tidal wetlands (Brown and Brown 1984; Sipple 1987). Their effects on native biota are unknown, but shading and root competition with native plants seems possible.

References- Brown and Brown 1984; Sipple 1987


Ecological Impacts on Other Chesapeake Non-Native Species

Both introduced and native varieties of Calystegia sepium (Hedge Bindweed) occur as vines twining on vegetation in Chesapeake Bay tidal wetlands (Brown and Brown 1984; Sipple 1987). In mesohaline marshlands, C. sepium occurs abundantly on Phragmites australis (Fofonoff, personal observation). Its effects on P. australis and other cryptogenic and exotic biota are unknown. Shading and root competition with P. australis and other exotic and cryptogenic plants seems possible.

References- Brown and Brown 1984; Sipple 1987


References

Agricultural Research Service (1971) Common weeds of the United States., In: (Eds.) . , Washington, D.C.. Pp.

Aikin, W. E. A. (1837) Catalogue of phenogamous plants and ferns, native or naturalized, growing in the vicinity of Baltimore, Maryland., Transactions of the Maryland Academy of Sciences and Literature 1: 55-91

Brown, Melvin L.; Brown, Russell G. (1984) Herbaceous Plants of Maryland, , College Park. Pp.

Fernald, Merritt L. (1950) Gray's Manual of Botany, In: (Eds.) . , New York. Pp.

Gleason, Henry A. (1963) The new Britton and Brown illustrated flora of the northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, In: (Eds.) . , New York. Pp.

Gleason, Henry A.; Cronquist, Arthur (1991) Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, In: (Eds.) . , Bronx, New York. Pp.

Gray, Asa (1848) A manual of botany of the northern United States., In: (Eds.) . , Boston. Pp.

Gronovius, Johannes Fredericius (1739) Flora Virginica exhibens plantas quas V. C. Johannes Clayton in Virginia observavit atque collegit., , London. Pp.

Harvill, A. M., Jr.; Bradley, T. R.; Stevens, C. E.; Weiboldt, T.F.; Ware, D.E.; Ogle, D. W. (1986) Atlas of the Virginia Flora, , Farmville, VA. Pp.

Harvill, A. M.; Bradley, Ted R.; Stevens, Charles E.; Wieboldt, Thomas F.; Ware, Donna M. E.; Ogle, Douglas W.; Ramsey, Gwynn W.; Fleming, Gary P. (1992) Atlas of the Virginia Flora, , Burkeville, VA. Pp.

Higman, Daniel (1968) An ecologically annotated checklst of the vascular flora at the Chesapeake Bay Center for Field Biology., In: (Eds.) . , Washington, D.C.. Pp.

Hill, Steven R. (1986) An annotated checklist of the vascular flora of Assateague Island (Maryland and Virginia), Castanea 51: 265-305

Klotz, Larry H. (1986) The vascular flora of Wallops Island and Wallops mainland, Virginia, Castanea 51: 306-326

Krauss, R.W.; Brown, R. G.; Rappleye, R. D.; Owens, A. B.; Shearer, C.; Hsiao, E.; Reveal, J. (1971) Checklist of plant species occurring within the hightide limits of the Chesapeake Bay, and its tributaries., , College Park, Maryland. Pp.

Muenscher, Walter C. (1980) Weeds., In: (Eds.) . , Ithaca, NY. Pp.

2000 The John Clayton Herbarum. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/botany/clayton

1997-2024 USDA PLANTS Database.. Onine databse

Perry, James E.; Atkinson, Robert B. (1997) Plant diversity along a salinity gradient of four marshes on the York and Pamunkey Rivers in Virginia, Castanea 62: 112-118

Philipp, Charles C.; Brown, Russell C. (1965) Ecological studies of transition-zone vascular plants in South River, Maryland, Chesapeake Science 6: 73-81

Reveal, James L. (1983) Significance of pre-1753 botanical explorations in temperate North America on Linnaeus' first edition of Species Plantarum, Phytologia 53: 1-96

Simmons, Mark P.; Ware, Donna M.; Hayden, W. John (1995) The vascular flora of the Potomac River watershed of King George County, Virginia, Castanea 60: 179-209

Sipple, William S. (1978) An atlas of vascular plant distribution species for tidewater Maryland, , Annapolis, Maryland. Pp.

Wass, Melvin L. (1972) A checklist of the biota of lower Chesapeake Bay, Special Scientific Report, Virginia Institute of Marine Science 65: 1-290


Direct questions and comments to chesnemo@si.edu.

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