5. Evolvulus (evolvulus)

Plants perennial herbs, sometimes woody at the base, not twining, sometimes with somewhat thickened root systems. Stems prostrate to erect, often somewhat angular, moderately to densely pubescent with appressed and/or spreading simple hairs. Leaves sessile or very short-petiolate. Leaf blades linear to elliptic, bluntly to sharply pointed at the tip, narrowed or tapered at the base, the margins entire, the surfaces moderately to densely hairy. Inflorescences axillary, the flowers solitary or rarely in small clusters of 2 or 3, sessile to long-stalked. Bracts 2 per flower, 1–4 mm long, distant from the flower, leaflike, shorter than the flower stalk and calyx and not hiding the calyx, not overlapping, linear, usually persistent at fruiting. Calyx of free sepals, similar in size and shape, herbaceous, relatively densely long-hairy on the outer surface. Corollas 3–6 mm long, very shallowly 5-lobed, broadly funnelform to nearly bell-shaped, lavender to blue or less commonly white. Stamens lacking subtending scales, more or less exserted. Ovary 2-locular, with 4 ovules, densely hairy. Styles 2, each 2-lobed toward the tip, the stigmas thus 4 per flower, capitate. Fruits 1- or 2-locular, dehiscing longitudinally, the wall separating into 2–4 segments. Seeds mostly 1 or 2, ovate to nearly circular in outline, sometimes somewhat longitudinally angled on the inner face, glabrous. About 100 species, nearly worldwide, most diverse in tropical and warm-temperate portions of the New World.