Sweet potato, morning glories, bindweeds: an overview of Convolvulaceae

Abstract

Convolvulaceae are an economically and ecologically important plant family, including the crop sweet potato, ornamental morning glories, bindweeds and dodders. In the past 20 years, much progress has been made in the taxonomy and systematics of the family at several scales. The integration of molecular phylogenetics has revolutionised our understanding of the species and their relationships. Other fields such as ecology, evolution, phytochemistry, palynology, anatomy and genomics have also taken significant leaps. These new insights have levered a fast-paced progress that we are now experiencing, enhanced by the power of international collaborations. In this review, we summarise and reconcile the most meaningful advances in several fields that have impacted Convolvulaceae in recent years, pointing to the outstanding questions that will be the priority for the upcoming research in this plant family. Standardised guidelines for best practices in some techniques are also provided, such as field collection, photography and molecular techniques, drawing from the combined experience of researchers working on this family.